Updated

Updated · The Philadelphia Inquirer · Jun 27

Olney Home Search Ties Eugene Horsch Arrest to 2 Missing Women as FBI Processes Chemical Evidence

Updated

Updated · The Philadelphia Inquirer · Jun 27

Olney Home Search Ties Eugene Horsch Arrest to 2 Missing Women as FBI Processes Chemical Evidence

Q: What is the purpose of the mysterious 55-gallon drum found in the basement of the suspect's sealed-off Philadelphia home?

Its purpose is unknown. Investigators found the 55-gallon drum in the basement connected to water lines, hoses and other piping, but Philadelphia police say they do not yet know what it was used for. Deputy Commissioner Frank Vanore said authorities are still trying to determine whether Horsch was “producing something” or “irrigating something,” and stressed that the setup’s function remains unclear. The drum was discovered alongside a cache of chemicals, firearms, ammunition, fake IDs, narcotics evidence and signs of a marijuana grow operation. Because of that broader context, investigators are examining whether the drum and chemical inventory were tied to drug production, explosives, or some other illicit process. Experts from the FBI, including the Major Case Team from Quantico, are helping identify and test the chemicals and equipment. Until that analysis is complete, authorities have not publicly assigned a specific purpose to the drum.

3 articles · Updated · The Philadelphia Inquirer · Jun 27

Philadelphia police and the FBI said the Olney house searched for more than a week is now being examined for links to Amy McHale, missing since 2016, and another missing woman.
June 19 traffic-stop evidence drove the search: Eugene Horsch, 44, was arrested with 2 guns, drugs, a fake badge and IDs, while a companion used the name of a 38-year-old woman reported missing in 2023.
Inside the home, investigators found hidden compartments, a 55-gallon drum connected to water lines and a hole in the ground, chemicals, apparent urns of remains and a handwritten letter referencing hurting people and Ted Bundy.
Amy McHale, 44 when she vanished, was last heard from at the house on June 14, 2016; relatives say she repeatedly returned to ex-husband R.C. Horsch there but would not have abandoned her daughter and grandchildren.
Eugene Horsch is jailed on $500,000 bail on gun and drug charges, denies any tie to the disappearances through his lawyer, and forensic testing of items from the house is expected to take time.