Will the mystery of the missing women be solved? The drug investigation that turned into a shocking murder case in the US
Eugene Horsh from Philadelphia was arrested on suspicion of drug trafficking and possession of forged federal documents - but a police raid on his home led the police to reopen the files of missing women from Philadelphia. All the details on the investigation that is shaking the United States.
A massive investigation is currently underway in Philadelphia, surrounding a house in the Olney neighborhood that hides more and more questions. At the center of the investigation is 44-year-old Eugene Horsh, the owner of the house, after investigators found drugs, weapons, chemical substances, forged documents, and evidence in recent months that raised the possibility of a connection to women who have disappeared over the years.
It all started almost by accident, with a black BMW parked in a forbidden spot. On June 19 of this year, a park inspector noticed the car, and when he approached it, he heard a woman sitting in the back seat shouting: "You are going to hurt me." Horsh and the woman, according to court documents, appeared to be involved in drug-related activity. A search of the vehicle revealed two weapons, a folding knife, crack cocaine, and a stun gun.
But then two items appeared that made the event much larger than a routine search. A forged identification card of the US Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) was found in the vehicle, on which appeared the picture of Horsh, even though he never worked for the organization. The woman who was with him presented another card - her picture appeared on it, but the name was that of another woman: a missing person from Philadelphia.
Horsh was arrested, and the investigators arrived at his home on West Chew Street. However, the house was no stranger to the authorities. According to Frank Vannor, a senior official in the Philadelphia Police Department, drug unit investigators had already conducted a search of the property in the past. "It didn't look the way it looked when we entered it. It was different," said Vannor. In the current search, investigators found weapons, ammunition, and additional drugs, alongside chemical substances in bottles, containers, and barrels.
One of the barrels found in the basement contained about 200 liters and was connected to water pipes. The authorities called the FBI to assist in testing the materials. "We just don't know what he is doing there, if he is producing something, if he is preparing something, if he is watering something. We don't know," said Vannor. Investigators also found a marijuana growing laboratory on the property, forged federal documents, and other items collected as evidence.
Inside the house, another finding awaited the investigators that added a dark dimension to the investigation: writings in which the serial killer Ted Bundy was mentioned, alongside references to zip ties, a barrel, and murder cases. Horsh's lawyer claimed that it is possible that the writings were not written by his client at all, but by his father, Raymond Horsh, who previously lived in the house and died in 2025. According to him, "it is quite difficult to distinguish" between the father's belongings and those of his son.
The raid on the house and new findings
However, the heaviest suspicion came from elsewhere. Investigators found a hard drive in the house containing hundreds of thousands of photos and videos. After going through the materials, the police announced that the evidence led them to believe that two women who had been missing for years - Maribel Perses and Gabriel Amarndo - are no longer alive. Perses was last seen in 2018, and Amarndo disappeared in 2012. Investigators continue to go through huge amounts of files in an attempt to understand what happened.
The investigation also brought up again the name of Amy McHale, who was previously married to Horsh's father and disappeared in 2016. McHale's family said that she was at Horsh's house the night before her disappearance, and now fears that perhaps something happened to her there. "There is something strange inside this house," said her daughter, Amanda Stoffer.
Meanwhile, the police continue to turn the property over in search of answers. Investigators dug in the area of the house and also checked infrastructure and pipes, but so far no bodies or human remains have been found. The police emphasized that the search has not yet ended.
Horsh himself remains in custody and is facing federal charges regarding the possession of weapons and forged federal documents. He is not charged at this stage with a connection to the disappearance of the women or their deaths. His defense attorney denies that his client is connected to other acts and claims that the authorities are "searching in the wrong place." The next hearing in his case is scheduled for January.
