Police, FBI Return to Horsch Home as Missing-Women Investigation Enters New Phases
PHILADELPHIA — Police and FBI investigators returned to 417 West Chew Ave. this week, resuming an extensive search of the Horsch home in the Olney section of the city as part of an investigation tied to numerous missing women.
By Monday afternoon, nearby intersections had been taped off while crime scene investigators worked the corner twin home belonging to 44-year-old Eugene Horsch and his late father, Raymond “R.C.” Horsch, a notorious pornographer.
Officials at the scene said the renewed effort would unfold in phases rather than as a single sweep.
The first phase, scheduled for Monday and Tuesday, focused on cleaning out the home and continuing to document the interior through photographs.
Investigators are expected to return Monday, Oct. 5, for a second phase expected to last about two weeks as officials move through the property and catalog what they find.
The return to the home follows months of police and media scrutiny. Residents in Olney were informed of the latest developments at a recent community hearing.
Police have already recovered hundreds of thousands of pieces of digital material from the property. Those items are being used to help determine where investigators should look for physical evidence, officials said.
The ongoing search underscores the unusual scale of the case and its impact on the surrounding neighborhood, where the Horsch property has long been a source of attention. For families of missing women, the renewed activity may also revive hopes that the investigation could yield answers, though authorities have not announced any new conclusions.
As the phased search continues, officials said they will keep moving methodically through the home and surrounding property, cataloging evidence and following leads generated by the digital material already recovered.
Kaitlyn McCormick is a Philadelphia-based reporter covering trending, breaking and city-related news for USA TODAY’s Philadelphia Metro Connect Team.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Police return to Horsch home for new ‘phases’ of investigation