Euguene Horsch hearing postponed until January, attorney files for return of BMW
PHILADELPHIA - The legal team for 44-year-old Eugene Horsch filed a motion to have his BMW returned more than two months after he and an unnamed woman were stopped in Center City, triggering an eerie investigation centered on his Chew Avenue home.
Motion filed to return vehicle stopped in Center City
What's New:
Court documents obtained by FOX 29 News say Horsch is trying to obtain his 2023 BMW 530XE to help pay for his legal fees.
Horsch was arrested in Center City in June after officers found him and another woman inside the vehicle with drugs, two loaded guns, and a fake DEA badge. He was charged with drugs and weapons crimes.
Horsch's legal team argues that the car should be returned to him because the amount of drugs discovered during a search "were for personal use" and "reflects no evidence that these controlled substances were for purposes of distribution."
"At minimum, the government has failed to provide any proof that the property was used to facilitate a drug transaction, which is at the heart of this claim," the motion reads.
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Eugene Horsch investigation: Images of 2 deceased women found in home, police say
Images recovered from a hard drive found during the search of 44-year-old Eugene Horsch's Chew Avenue home show what investigators believe are the bodies of two women.
Horsch's hearing postponed
Horsch's next scheduled appearance in court has been postponed to January, as investigators continue to carefully comb through a trove of evidence uncovered inside his Chew Avenue home.
Guns, gun parts, a marijuana grow lab, and a fake FBI badge with Horsch's picture on it were among the items found during an initial sweep of the home. Subsequent searches, however, uncovered a hard drive with images and videos showing the bodies of two women.
Police have stressed that detectives are not done meticulously examining the Chew Avenue property and the items found within, an investigation that has already included excavating the home's sewer pipe.
"Our work is not done there," said Philadelphia Police Inspector Ray Evers during a press conference earlier this month.
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The backstory:
Horsch, 44, was arrested in Center City in June after officers found him and another woman inside a vehicle with drugs, two loaded guns, and a fake DEA badge. He was charged with drugs and weapons crimes.
The encounter led investigators to a home on Chew Avenue where they made several unsettling discoveries, including guns, ammunition, and drugs. A 55-gallon drum attached to water lines, and various chemicals in bottles were also found.
Agents also discovered fake federal identification, computers, and more than 120 pieces of so-called ballistic evidence. Authorities returned to the property over the last several weeks searching for evidence, including excavating part of the front yard.
Inspector Ray Evers revealed that a hard drive containing photos and images showing the bodies of two missing women – Gabriella Armarando, 22 and Maribel Fresses, 27, were found during one of the searches.
Investigators have previously probed Horsch's connection to two other missing women. Amy McHale, who was previously married to Horsch's late father, has been missing since 2016. Blair Tonzelli, whose name appeared on the fake ID of the woman Horsch was stopped with in Center City, has been missing for several years.
The Source: Information provided by Philadelphia police, court documents, and previous FOX 29 News reports.