Philadelphia — A routine encounter with a parked car in Independence National Historic Park has spiraled into a major investigation, with police uncovering a home stocked with firearms, drugs, hazardous chemicals, and a fake ID linked to a missing woman, authorities said.
The case began on June 19 when a park ranger noticed a black BMW parked illegally in a law enforcement spot near the Liberty Bell. When the ranger approached, a woman in the back seat reportedly cried out, “You’re going to hurt me!” According to court documents, both the driver, 44-year-old Eugene Horsch, and the woman showed visible sores and appeared to be engaged in illegal drug activity.
A search of the vehicle turned up two guns, a switchblade, crack cocaine, and a cattle prod, according to a federal affidavit. Horsch was arrested and charged with federal felony possession of a firearm, along with municipal drug and weapons charges.
But the discovery of two identification cards deepened the mystery. One was a fake DEA badge with Horsch’s photo — he has never worked for the agency. The woman presented an ID with her photo but bearing the name of a missing Philadelphia woman, said Deputy Police Commissioner Frank Vanore.
Investigators then executed a search warrant at Horsch’s home on West Chew Avenue in the Olney neighborhood, where they found more weapons and drugs. “The further search of this property produced some other things that we have a lot of questions about,” Vanore said.
In the basement, authorities discovered various chemicals in bottles, drums, and plastic containers, prompting the FBI to assist in identifying them. A 55-gallon drum was connected to water lines, raising concerns about possible drug manufacturing or other illicit activities. “We just don’t know what he’s doing, if he’s producing something, if he’s making something, if he’s irrigating something. We don’t know,” Vanore added.
While no “apparent bodies” were found at the scene, the potential link to the missing woman has kept police stationed outside the home as of Tuesday. The Philadelphia Inquirer reported that a note referencing serial killer Ted Bundy was also discovered in the house.
Horsch’s defense attorney, Jerry Brown, plans to enter not guilty pleas for the current charges. Brown suggested the Bundy note belonged to Horsch’s late father, Raymond Horsch, described as a “known drug manufacturer and erotic filmmaker” who lived in the home previously. “It’s pretty hard to differentiate between what’s his father’s and what’s Eugene’s in this house,” Brown said.
The case has also drawn attention from the family of Amy McHale, who was once married to Raymond Horsch and disappeared nearly 10 years ago. Her daughter, Amanda Stofer, told KYW that McHale was at the home the night before she vanished. “Everything about it just screams ‘uneasy’ and it has for the past few years. There’s been something strange within that house,” Stofer said.
The investigation remains ongoing, with authorities exploring the possibility of underground searches or utility line inspections at the property.
