US4 min(s) read
Published 16:22 17 Aug 2026 GMT
Disturbing footage discovered inside a Philadelphia property has allegedly shown two women who have been missing for years apparently dead, leaving investigators shocked by what they found.
Philadelphia Police Inspector Ray Evers described the material as “dark and graphic” while speaking to reporters about the ongoing investigation into the home of convicted felon Eugene Horsch.
“I’m not gonna get into exactly what I saw. It’s dark. It’s real dark,” Evers said, according to WPVI.
Police have been examining an enormous collection of digital material recovered from the property, including around 600,000 images, 70,000 videos, and more than 10,000 pages of drawings and written material.
However, authorities stressed that this represents only around 5% of the digital evidence seized as part of their investigation into the 44-year-old.
According to investigators, the footage appears to show two women who subsequently died: Maribel Fresses, who disappeared in 2018 aged 27, and 22-year-old, Gabriella Amarando, who went missing in 2012.
Evers said investigators had been able to establish that the women appeared alive in some footage before apparently being shown dead at a later point.
“[W]hat we saw is these two girls alive. There was a period of time, and what appears to us is that they’re deceased,” he said.
However, he cautioned that investigators have not yet reviewed all of the material.
“There’s pieces of the video that we don’t have yet,” Evers added.
He said the evidence had been reviewed with medical examiners, who believe the individuals shown would be considered deceased if the footage is confirmed to be genuine and unaltered.
Despite the disturbing discovery, police cannot officially declare the women dead or charge anyone over their deaths until their remains are located.
“This is new territory for the homicide unit in Philadelphia. Usually, when we have a homicide investigation, we have a body, we have body parts. This time we do not,” Evers explained.
The investigation has so far resulted in 95 warrants relating to Horsch's home and possessions.
Police have reportedly discovered a collection of concerning items at the three-storey property, including chemicals, a 55-gallon drum connected to water lines, several urns, concealed compartments, firearms and a handwritten note containing references to notorious killer Ted Bundy.
Forensic investigators began examining the huge quantity of digital evidence seized from the property earlier this month.
The case began after a US park ranger reportedly heard Horsch arguing with his girlfriend inside a parked car close to Independence Hall in Philadelphia on June 19.
When officers intervened, Horsch was allegedly found carrying a fake Drug Enforcement Administration badge, a switchblade, and two firearms with their serial numbers removed.
His girlfriend was also reportedly carrying a fake identification document bearing her photograph but using the name of Blair Tonzelli, a 35-year-old woman who disappeared from Kensington in 2023.
That discovery helped lead investigators to Horsch's home, where they reportedly uncovered the large collection of chemicals and other suspicious items.
Authorities also found around 120 pieces of ballistic evidence, a bank card belonging to Tonzelli and a death certificate for another woman who died last year.
Investigators also reportedly discovered narcotics and evidence suggesting Horsch may have been attempting to manufacture or grow additional drugs.
Horsch, who neighbors have reportedly described as a “psycho,” remains in custody on charges relating to firearms and allegedly possessing counterfeit DEA and FBI credentials following the FBI raid.
Police said on Wednesday that he had not been charged with any additional offences at that stage.
For Maribel Fresses' family, the latest development has been devastating.
Her brother Dawson told NBC Philadelphia that he was left in “pure shock” after investigators informed the family about the footage.
“It’s been eight years since I’ve last seen her and it was just weird hearing that come about. I kind of got into this mode that I was never going to figure out what happened to her,” he admitted.
The property is also reportedly significant in another disappearance. It was the last known location of R.C. Horsch's former wife, Amy McHale, who disappeared in 2016. The older Horsch died last year.
Eugene Horsch has denied any involvement in the disappearances of the two women.
He has previously amassed 10 arrests, with his record including allegations involving drug possession and dealing, assault, and driving under the influence, according to the Philadelphia Inquirer.
