Woman Recounts Terrifying Encounter with 'House of Horrors Killer' Who Lured Her as a Child

A woman who narrowly escaped the clutches of a man now identified as the 'house of horrors killer' Raymond 'RC' Horsch has broken her silence, recounting the chilling encounter when she was just nine years old. Ashley Rivera, now 26, learned that the man who attempted to abduct her in 2009 was a serial predator linked to the disappearances of multiple women.

Rivera recalled the incident in 2009 as she was leaving a 7-Eleven near her Kensington, Philadelphia home. She noticed a man in his 60s with long, greasy hair slowly circling the block in a green Jeep. Although initially not paying him much attention, she felt his eyes on her before he pulled up. The man rolled down his window, called her "sexy," and asked her to get into his car. When Rivera moved away, the man exited his vehicle and gripped her arm, dragging her toward the Jeep. She screamed for help.

Rivera described his eyes as "very evil." Her stepfather, who was on the front porch nearby, heard her screams. He hobbled over and struck the back window of Horsch's Jeep with his crutches, prompting Horsch to speed away. Rivera ran inside her home, and her mother, Sasha, called 911. Sasha Rivera told the Philadelphia Inquirer that she saw Horsch circling their block and chased him with a baseball bat.

Police arrived and arrested Horsch. Officers found high-powered binoculars, a digital camera, a telephoto lens, an eye patch, and a condom inside his Jeep. Rivera identified Horsch to the police. He was charged with luring a child into a motor vehicle and corrupting the morals of a minor. Horsch, who died last year at age 82, is linked to at least seven missing women.

Investigators have since uncovered a trove of disturbing digital evidence from Horsch's home, suggesting he may have killed women he lured from the streets. Footage collected from his home led police to believe that Gabrielle Amarando, who disappeared in 2021 at age 22, and Maribel Fresses, who vanished in 2018 at age 27, are dead. Other footage reportedly showed Horsch strangling Nicole Fusaro, who disappeared in 2018 at the age of 27.

Months after the attempted abduction, in January 2010, Rivera testified against Horsch in court. She recounted being terrified by his stare during the proceedings. Horsch was convicted of both counts and sentenced to two and a half to five years in prison. He requested a "trial de novo," which would have required Rivera to testify again. Fearing for their safety and not wanting her daughter to relive the trauma, Sasha Rivera did not want Ashley to return to court. A new prosecutor took over the case, and without Rivera's testimony, the charges were dropped. The conviction was vacated, and Horsch successfully petitioned for the case to be erased in 2015.

Jill Fertel, the prosecutor on the case, stated that the system was not designed for children and that there is a difference between confronting an accuser and intimidating a victim. The state later upgraded the crime of luring a child under 13 to a felony in 2013. Fertel also explained that courts now tend to allow children to testify on camera.

Rivera has spoken about the lasting impact of the encounter, saying it left her scared to play outside and continues to cause anxiety. The terrifying memory remains with her, and she fears for her own son's safety when he is the same age she was during the incident.