I’m a Philly forensic psychologist who has conducted dozens of psychopathic evaluations – here’s why an evaluation of R.C. Horsch in the ‘80s didn’t identify him as a possible psychopath
Raymond “R.C.” Horsch is suspected to have killed multiple women in his Philadelphia home. This photo of him, circa 1999, was uploaded to Wikimedia in 2015.
Seven missing women are linked to a house in Philadelphia shared by Eugene Horsch and his late father, Raymond 'R.C.' Horsch, who died in 2025 at the age of 82. Police and the FBI are investigating the home after five of the seven women are feared dead. Raymond Horsch is the suspected killer, while Eugene Horsch has not been charged with any homicides or missing-person offenses. The case raises questions about serial killers and whether mental health professionals could have identified R.C. Horsch as a potential psychopath earlier to prevent further harm.
Psychopathy is a personality disorder characterized by traits such as pathological lying, extreme narcissism, shallow emotions, impulsivity, and a lack of empathy or remorse. It is not officially recognized in the current Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-5), the primary diagnostic tool used by mental health professionals in the U.S. Instead, the DSM-5 includes antisocial personality disorder, which focuses on behavioral aspects like aggression and rule-breaking. Psychopathy is considered a more extreme form of antisocial personality disorder. While psychopathy is not listed in the DSM-5, it has been extensively researched for decades.
The link between psychopathy and serial killers is well-documented. Many notorious serial killers, such as Ted Bundy and Jeffrey Dahmer, are suspected to have had psychopathic traits. However, most individuals with psychopathic characteristics are not serial killers. People with psychopathy can also be found in professions like corporate executives, elected officials, and attorneys. Serial killers often exhibit extreme psychopathic traits, including the ability to commit violent acts with little remorse. This raises the question: Could mental health professionals have identified psychopathy in R.C. Horsch during a 1980s evaluation to prevent future crimes?
Mental health professionals use tools like the Psychopathy Checklist-Revised (PCL-R) to assess psychopathic traits. Developed in 1980 and commercially released in 1991, the PCL-R is widely used in research and clinical settings. It measures traits such as lack of empathy, manipulative behavior, and impulsivity. Higher PCL-R scores indicate a higher likelihood of psychopathy and an increased risk of future criminal behavior. Courts often use PCL-R results to determine sentencing, as individuals with higher scores are considered a greater risk to public safety. However, the PCL-R is not foolproof and has limitations in predicting violence in certain settings, such as high-security prisons.
In 1985, R.C. Horsch underwent a psychological evaluation after being convicted of counterfeiting and methamphetamine manufacturing. The psychologist described him as grandiose, mistrustful, suspicious, excessively controlling, and consumed by anger. The evaluation concluded that Horsch likely had bipolar disorder and paranoid personality disorder but did not identify him as a psychopath. This was because reliable tools for assessing psychopathy, such as the PCL-R, were not yet commercially available. The precursor to the PCL-R was developed in 1980 but was not widely used until after 1991.
Since the early 1990s, research on psychopathy has expanded significantly. Studies have found that the brain regions associated with thrill-seeking and impulsivity are larger in people with psychopathic traits, while regions linked to emotional regulation and fear processing are smaller. Psychopathy evidence is increasingly used in courts, often by prosecutors to argue for harsher sentences. However, research shows that the PCL-R may not reliably predict violence among inmates on death row or in highly restrictive prison settings. It is more effective in predicting violence among inmates in less secure settings or those about to be released. Identifying psychopathic traits early could help intervene before violent escalation, but most evaluations occur after an individual has already committed a crime.
