Man convicted of killing well-known therapist Amie Harwick by throwing her off balcony
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A man was convicted Thursday of killing well-known marriage and family therapist Amie Harwick by throwing her off a balcony in 2020.
Gareth Pursehouse, 45, who had previously dated Harwick, was found guilty of murder and first-degree residential burglary with the special circumstance of lying in wait, according to the Los Angeles County district attorney's office.
The Los Angeles Police Department responded to Harwick's Hollywood Hills home in the early morning on Feb. 15, 2020, after receiving reports of a woman screaming.
Harwick's roommate met officers outside and said that Harwick was being assaulted.
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Officers found Harwick's body below a third-story balcony at the home, gravely injured in a manner consistent with a fall, police said at the time.
She was taken to a hospital, where she later died.
Pursehouse and Harwick had dated in the early 2010s before separating.
Harwick had filed multiple restraining order applications against Pursehouse, alleging that he'd hit her. In 2012 — a year after they had broken up — she told a judge that Pursehouse continued to harass her.
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In the years after the breakup, Harwick became a successful therapist who worked closely with performers in the adult film industry. She made media appearances, became a published author and was engaged to "The Price is Right" host Drew Carey, though the two split up before marrying.
In early 2020, Harwick and Pursehouse had a chance encounter at the XBiz Awards, an awards show for the adult entertainment industry.
A month later, Harwick was dead and Pursehouse was in custody.
“Today, justice has been served for Amie Harwick and her loved ones who have endured unimaginable pain throughout this terrible ordeal,” L.A. County Dist. Atty. George Gascón said in a statement. “Our thoughts and support remain with them as they begin to heal."
Pursehouse faces a potential maximum sentence of life without the possibility of parole.
This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.
