Gareth Pursehouse – the man accused of killing Dr. Amie Harwick – was re-arrested on a no bail warrant and charged with murder just hours after he was released from jail when he posted a $2 million bond.
On Wednesday, the Los Angeles District Attorney’s office issued a press release that revealed Pursehouse, of Playa del Rey, California, was charged with killing Harwick – his ex-girlfriend – by allegedly throwing her over a third floor balcony at her apartment in the Hollywood Hills.
TRAGIC: Doctor Amie Harwick had filed a restraining order against her ex-boyfriend, but it had recently expired. That same ex-boyfriend is now charged with her murder. https://t.co/ymgQNk5A8D
— FOX 11 Los Angeles (@FOXLA) February 17, 2020
Pursehouse has been charged with one count of murder and first-degree residential burglary along with the special circumstance of “lying in wait.” That makes him eligible for the death penalty in the case. The other punishment option if he is found guilty would be life in prison without the possibility of parole. Prosecutors have not yet decided if they will seek capital punishment, but their decision will be announced at a later date.
According to People magazine, Pursehouse was released at 10:25 p.m. on Tuesday night after he posted bail. But, he was back in jail less than 24 hours later. His arraignment was scheduled for Thursday.
Police are still investigating the incident which occured on Saturday, February 15th. Officers responded to a call of a “woman screaming” at the 2000 block of Mound Street in Hollywood Hills early Saturday afternoon. Harwick’s roommate told police that she was being assaulted by her ex-boyfriend.
When they entered the property to find out what was going on, they discovered Harwick lying unresponsive underneath a third floor balcony.
“She suffered significant injuries consistent with a fall,” police said in the press release. “A canvass of the area located further evidence of an intruder entering the property and leaving after the murder.”
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vi5NL3w2HhU
It didn’t take long for officers to arrest Pursehouse and charge him with Harwick’s murder. According to the Los Angeles Medical Examiner, Harwick died of blunt force injuries to her head and torso. There was also evidence of “manual strangulation.”
Harwick reportedly dated Pursehouse more than a decade ago, and she previously had two restraining orders against him which expired two weeks ago. The former couple had a recent, unexpected run-in at a Los Angeles Event, and friend Vera Duffy says that Pursehouse made a scene.
“She said that when he saw her, he just went ballistic. He lost it. He made a scene,” explained Duffy, adding that Pursehouse accused Harwick of ruining his life. “She was very scared. She said, ‘What am I going to do? I let my roommate know, I have home security.’”
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Dr. Amie Harwick – a popular, well-loved sex and family therapist and best-selling author who was once engaged to Drew Carey – died in the hospital from her injuries. She was 38 years old.
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