Federal and local investigators searching a Philadelphia home uncovered drugs, weapons, hazardous chemicals, and a disturbing handwritten note that mentioned Ted Bundy and referred to “trash that needs to go”.
The case began on June 19, 2026, when a U.S. Park Service ranger noticed a disturbance involving a man and a woman inside a black BMW near Independence Mall in Philadelphia. Investigators later identified the man as 44-year-old Eugene Horsch and said the woman was carrying an ID using the name of a missing person reported in 2023.
That encounter led officers to a property tied to Horsch in the Olney section of Philadelphia, where a search quickly expanded into a multi-agency investigation involving local police, federal agents, and the FBI.
According to investigators, the home contained firearms-related evidence, drugs, chemical substances, hidden compartments, and other items that raised immediate safety concerns.
Horsch was taken into custody on June 19 and later appeared in federal court on gun and drug charges. Court records also indicate authorities have continued to examine whether the property could be connected to more than one missing-person case.
Philadelphia Police Deputy Commissioner Frank Vanore said in a statement: “In the basement area of this property, there were chemicals. Various chemicals in bottles … some of these chemicals, if they were to be put together and obviously ignited, they could cause some hazards.”
Police have not yet determined exactly what the setup inside the property was being used for, and investigators say lab testing is still underway on some of the seized substances.
Vanore explained that they are still not certain precisely what Horsch had been doing with the strange setup, saying: “If he’s producing something, if he’s making something, if he’s irrigating something, we don’t know.
“The further search of this property produced some other things that we have a lot of questions about.”
Investigators also recovered a bank card belonging to one of the missing women whose name had surfaced in the investigation. Horsch’s girlfriend reportedly told police she did not know the missing woman and had used her identity because she had active warrants.
At this stage, police say they cannot verify whether the missing woman was ever at Horsch’s residence, and they have not established any connection between him and her disappearance.
Officials also pushed back on speculation circulating online, saying no bodies were discovered at the home.
Among the items found was a handwritten note referencing Ted Bundy, according to documents obtained by The Philadelphia Inquirer.
It read: “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. I had been ready and waiting, and I damn sure showed no hesitation. And it was fun.”
NBC reports the note also mentioned ‘trash that needs to go’. Investigators have not said whether the writing was fictional or reflected something real.
Horsch’s lawyer, Jerome Brown, told NBC that the materials found inside the property — including the note — may have belonged to Horsch’s father, who he described as an erotic photographer and filmmaker.
Brown said: “Knowing Ray for the past 50 years, it wouldn’t surprise me if that’s something that he wrote.”
Police also said a 55-gallon drum was recovered from the address, in addition to the chemicals, weapons, and written material.
By late June, investigators were still working to identify the substances found in the home and to determine whether any of the evidence could be tied to the missing-women inquiries that prompted the search.
The investigation is ongoing.