Former police chief sheds light on 2009 arrest of R.C. Horsch in Philadelphia missing women case

A former Bucks County police chief has revealed new details about a 2009 arrest of R.C. Horsch, whose family home is linked to a Philadelphia investigation into several missing women.

Ex-police chief: R.C. Horsch had female IDs in his home during 2009 drug raid

A former Bucks County police chief has shed new light on the background of Raymond "R.C." Horsch, a central figure in a Philadelphia investigation involving several missing and unidentified women, 6abc.com reports.

Robert Scafidi, former police chief of New Britain Township, said he arrested R.C. Horsch at his Chalfont, Pennsylvania home in 2009 after a woman called police reporting unusual noises. A search warrant subsequently led officers to discover nearly 200 marijuana plants and a number of firearms on the property.

"As part of the investigation, firearms were found," Scafidi said. "There were also IDs of various females. There were a few of them. The DA's office took them and were going to follow up. I really don't know what happened after that."

R.C. Horsch was taken into federal custody following the arrest. Court documents show he received a 54-month federal prison sentence, with credit for time already served in Bucks County jail. Scafidi said the outcome was unsurprising. "He always got light sentences for some reason," he said, adding: "He was a person who worked at being evil. That was his nature."

R.C. Horsch died in 2025 and has become a significant focus of investigators examining a property on West Chew Avenue in Philadelphia's Olney neighbourhood. For months, authorities have been reviewing a large volume of evidence recovered from that address, which belongs to his son, Eugene Horsch, 44. Eugene was arrested in June on charges unrelated to the missing women investigation.

Police have said seven women have now been linked to the West Chew Avenue property, including five who appeared injured, lifeless, or possibly deceased in images and videos found at the scene. Among the women connected to the case is Amy McHale, who was 44 years old when she was last seen in 2016. Her family told Action News she was last seen at the West Chew Avenue home. McHale had previously been married to R.C. Horsch.

Neighbours in Chalfont recalled seeing McHale in the area. "You didn't see much of her; she didn't say much," said neighbour Emily DiDomenico. "Just saw her one day and suddenly you didn't see her. That was that."

Philadelphia police confirmed on Wednesday that investigators have not searched the Chalfont property. DiDomenico said she found that puzzling. "I do question why they haven't looked at the Chalfont house honestly, that's his origin story," she said.

The current owners of the Chalfont property showed Action News through the basement, which has been fully renovated. Behind the drywall, a large safe is reportedly built into the foundation, which previous owners say dates to the time when Horsch lived there. It has since been sealed off.

The June search of the Chew Avenue residence uncovered fake law enforcement credentials, drugs, a firearm, hundreds of thousands of photographs and videos, writings, manuscripts, and numerous unidentified chemicals. Detectives are investigating whether those chemicals could have been used to destroy or conceal evidence related to potential victims.

Authorities said they plan to return to the Chew Avenue property later this month with an additional search warrant. No charges related to the missing women have been filed, and no bodies connected to the case have been recovered.

Source: Google News MT — Crime (en)