Bones discovered at Horsch "house of horrors" in Philadelphia were animal bones, sources say

Bones discovered at the "house of horrors" under investigation in Philadelphia's Olney neighborhood have been determined to be animal bones, law enforcement sources tell CBS News Philadelphia.

Last week, personnel from the FBI and Philadelphia police excavated around the property as part of their investigation into Raymond "R.C." Horsch, a suspected serial killer who died last year. The home on the 400 block of Chew Avenue has been linked to at least seven missing women, five of whom are feared dead.

Investigative work last week included demolishing a shed in the backyard and digging through soil. The bones were found in the backyard, sources say.

Testing has now shown the bones were animal bones. Relatives and people closely following the case for more on the missing women will have to continue waiting.

Also last week, investigators sprayed luminol, a chemical that glows when it comes into contact with signs of human blood. The chemical spray test showed human DNA in several locations around the home that will now need further testing.

Previous work at the property included the removal of two clogged sewer laterals, pipes that connected the home to the main sewer line in the street.

Investigators have also removed drums containing an oily, sludge-like material from the property and have investigated the home for signs of wet cremation, when a mix of chemicals are used to break down human remains.

Raymond Horsch, who once described himself as an "empathetic serial killer," directed and performed in pornographic films and wrote several books that have since been pulled from online marketplaces. Horsch in one book described strangling a woman and disposing of her body with a chemical process.

The home has been under investigation since this summer, when Horsch's son, Eugene, was arrested in Center City after a traffic stop. Authorities said he had guns, drugs, and false law enforcement credentials, and was traveling with a woman carrying the ID of Blair Tonzelli, who had been missing since 2023.

The woman later told investigators about the home and said she was scared of its basement, that "bad things happened in that basement to other people," sources said.