Local
Olney property search ends as investigators turn to digital evidence in missing-women probe
Philadelphia investigators wrapped weeks of excavation and evidence collection at a Chew Avenue home tied to at least seven missing or unidentified women. No human remains have been found; recovered items are headed for forensic testing as investigators review digital evidence and seek to contact more women.
Investigators ended their extensive search Friday, Oct. 23, at a home on Chew Avenue in Philadelphia’s Olney neighborhood, closing the latest phase of a months-long investigation connected to at least seven missing or unidentified women.
The property was formerly associated with Raymond “R.C.” Horsch and his son, Eugene. Since early October, crews have excavated the site and dismantled walls while working under a large tent and alongside heavy equipment. Police vehicles and investigators cleared the residential street Friday after the operation concluded.
Investigators have recovered more than 1 million digital images, some showing women who appear injured, unconscious or possibly dead. They also found animal bones and possible traces of blood. Authorities have said no human remains have been found. Items of interest recovered at the property are expected to undergo forensic testing.
The investigation, which began drawing attention in June, will now focus on reviewing video evidence and contacting women investigators have not yet reached. The search’s end marks a shift in the work, not a conclusion to the broader inquiry.
Hours after investigators left, a man who identified himself as a Horsch family relative visited the vacant house and departed with a stack of papers. He declined to speak on camera.