A Los Angeles jury has found Gareth Pursehouse guilty of first-degree murder and burglary in the death of his ex-girlfriend, Dr. Amie Harwick. The pair had dated for a year and a half, and in 2012 Harwick filed restraining orders against him and claimed he was both physically and emotionally abusive.
Pursehouse faces life in prison without the possibility of parole, according to media reports.
Prosecutors successfully argued that Pursehouse broke into Harwick’s home on Valentine’s Day in 2020 with the intent to kill her. He was waiting for Harwick when she arrived home late that evening.
At the time, the LAPD told TheWrap, “On Saturday, February 15, 2020, around 1:16 a.m. Hollywood patrol officers responded to a radio call of a ‘Woman Screaming,’ in the 2000 block of Mound Street in Hollywood Hills.”
“When officers arrived, they were met by a roommate who was in the street. He informed officers that the victim was being assaulted inside of her residence. The roommate had jumped a wall and went to neighboring residences to call for help,” the statement continued.
“When officers went to make entry, they found the victim on the ground beneath a third story balcony. The victim was gravely injured. She suffered significant injuries consistent with a fall. The victim was unresponsive. The Los Angeles Fire Department transported the victim to a local hospital where she later died from her injuries. The investigation revealed possible evidence of a struggle in the upstairs as well as forced entry to the residence. A canvass of the area located further evidence of an intruder (suspect) entering the property and leaving after the murder.”
Harwick was found lying on the ground below her third-floor balcony. Her autopsy showed signs of strangulation and that she died of blunt force trauma to her head and body.
Harwick was in a relationship with Drew Carey between 2017 and 2018. The pair were engaged for the last year of their relationship but ultimately split. Following her death, he told People, “Amie and I had a love that people are lucky to have once in a lifetime.”
“She was a positive force in the world, a tireless and unapologetic champion for women, and passionate about her work as a therapist,” he said. “I am overcome with grief. I would like to thank you in advance for giving myself and everyone who loved Amie privacy while we try to work through this tragic situation.”
Carey later told CBS that his final exchange with Harwick was filled with love. “I got a text from her [that read], ‘I would love to get together with you and talk,’” he said in the special “48 Hours: The Final Hours of Amie Harwick.” The actor and game show host added, “And I said, ‘Yeah, I would love to do that. I love you.”
