FBI and Philadelphia Police Search Sewers Below Eugene Horsch's Home for DNA and Body-Dissolving Chemicals

What Started This

On June 19, a U.S. park ranger near Independence Hall in Old City overheard Eugene Horsch's girlfriend say, "You're going to hurt me," according to Philadelphia police. The ranger intervened, leading to Horsch's arrest. That stop opened a much larger investigation.

When investigators entered Horsch's dilapidated three-story home on Chew Avenue in the Olney neighborhood, they found a disturbing inventory: a stockpile of hazardous chemicals, firearms, drugs, and a peculiar setup involving at least one 55-gallon drum connected to a water line.

The Drum Rig and the Note

Philadelphia Police Deputy Commissioner of Investigations Frank Vanore confirmed at a Monday press conference that the drum apparatus prompted investigators to bring in the local water department to help search the sewers beneath the property.

Crews are now looking for traces of DNA, chemicals used to dissolve bodies, or evidence of a drug manufacturing operation, according to sources cited by the New York Post.

Among the items recovered was a handwritten note obtained by the Philadelphia Inquirer. The note reads, in part: "Acting on emotion is where problems occur. What I don't think I told you was that the first time it was planned ahead of time. The threat was made before you know who came over, and I already had a 2ft zip tie in my pocket and a drum set up."

The note continues: "I had been ready and waiting, and I damn sure showed no hesitation. And it was fun."

No source has yet established who wrote the note or confirmed its authorship through forensic analysis. It is recovered evidence, not a proven confession.

Missing Women and Ongoing Investigation

Horsch is linked to at least two missing women, though specific details of those connections have not been publicly confirmed by investigators as of June 30. The FBI Evidence Collection Team and the Philadelphia Police Forensic Science Bureau jointly collected the hazardous materials and other evidence from the home. All materials have been transported to a laboratory for testing.

Vanore said the home itself has been declared safe. "There's no danger there. The danger is removed, everything has been deemed safe," he told reporters Monday, adding that officers remain posted at the property to avoid the need for a new search warrant if additional re-entry is required.

No Remains Confirmed Yet

Investigators have NOT found human remains inside the home. Vanore noted the only human-associated items discovered were several urns on the premises. Horsch has not been publicly charged with homicide or any crime involving the missing women as of June 30, according to the available record. Charges have been filed in connection with the case, as NBC Philadelphia reported, but the specific counts were not detailed in the information available.

"When it goes to DNA, things like that, it's going to take time," Vanore said. "So when they give it back, we'll move on it, we'll start the investigative process."

Investigators have begun interviewing people connected to the case.

What Happens Next

The critical variable is what forensic labs return from the chemical and DNA analysis. Vanore's statement that investigators are holding the scene specifically to avoid re-obtaining a warrant signals they expect those results to require follow-up action inside the home. The sewer search adds another layer. If dissolved biological material traveled into the Philadelphia sewer system, trace evidence could still be detectable depending on how much time has passed and what chemicals were used.

The connection to the two missing women remains the central unresolved question. Until forensic results come back and investigators publicly link Horsch to their disappearances with hard evidence, the full scope of what occurred on Chew Avenue is unknown.