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After Hollywood's prominent s*x therapist Amie Harwick was brutally attacked in her home, which led to her ultimate death in February 2020, her jealous ex-boyfriend Gareth Pursehouse was charged with her murder. Harwick reportedly suffered blunt force trauma to her head and chest, which caused her death. There was additional proof of intentional strangling.
Pursehouse, 41, was allegedly "obsessed" with his ex-girlfriend. All circumstantial evidence and witness accounts led authorities to believe his involvement. He stands accused of one count each of first-degree domestic theft and homicide, as well as "with a special circumstance allegation of lying in wait," which carries a potential death sentence if proven guilty.
Read further to find out more about Gareth Pursehouse's alleged involvement in ex-girlfriend Amie Harwick's 2020 murder case ahead of CBS' upcoming 48 Hours episode, which is scheduled to premiere this Saturday, September 3, 2022, at 8 pm ET.
How was ex-boyfriend Gareth Pursehouse linked to Amie Harwick's murder?
Gareth Pursehouse, Harwick's ex-boyfriend, was the subject of two restraining orders, the most recent of which had expired just weeks before the murder in 2020. Authorities followed a breadcrumb trail of evidence that directed them to Harwick's ex-boyfriend, photographer Gareth Pursehouse. After being indicted for murder, Pursehouse was taken into custody when he entered a not-guilty plea.
According to the prosecution, Pursehouse strangled 38-year-old Harwick before tossing her off the balcony of her third-floor Hollywood Hills home. Investigators uncovered signs of a violent battle inside her house, given that the bedroom door had blood on it.
The trail of rosary beads she had been wearing earlier that evening was scattered all across the house, from her TV room to her bedroom and out onto the balcony. Additionally, they found a syringe with liquid inside it, which was later confirmed to be nicotine, a toxin that can cause death. This discovery was as strange as it could get given that Amie was not into drugs, smoking, or alcohol.
Speaking about the time he was questioned by authorities, Amie Harwick's best friend Robert Coshland stated that,
"They asked ... Who I thought might have done this and ... did she have any enemies? ... "this ex of hers, Gareth ... if anyone ... it would be this guy."
Detectives arrived at Gareth Pursehouse's home about 13 hours after Amie Harwick died of blunt force injuries and charged him with the therapist's murder. Police allegedly discovered a syringe inside his house that was identical to the one they discovered on Amie's balcony.
Amie Harwick's abusive relationship with Gareth Pursehouse in the past
According to friends, Harwick may have been the target of assault due to an accidental meeting between Pursehouse and Harwick at a party in January of that year. Further, court records uncovered from Harwick's restraining order proceedings demonstrate that Pursehouse subjected Harwick to brutal abuse.
The charges included claims that he had strangled her, smothered her, shoved her up against walls, and smashed her head into the ground. Nearly four years after their separation, Amie also believed Pursehouse had broken into her house, stolen her photographs, and cleared out her computer.
Coshland, while mentioning Harwick's prior experience with ex-boyfriend, said,
"They would get in ... yelling fights. And one time she threw a pillow at him. And he hit her and bashed her head against the floor. And then immediately he would make up and be all like, 'I'm really sorry' and 'I love you' and all this kind of stuff. But it was a very different relationship when the couple first started dating, as Grace Stanley remembers."
Back when they were dating ten years ago, Harwick and Pursehouse had a contentious relationship. Soon after Amie ended the abusive relationship, she began voicing concerns about him, claiming that she feared her ex. One of Harwick's friends reportedly stated that
"she was afraid of this particular guy, and it was always something that kind of followed her."
Gareth Pursehouse now awaits trial in connection with Amie Harwick's 2020 murder case.
The 48 Hours episode titled The Final Hours of Amie Harwick airs this Saturday, September 3, 2022, at 8:00 pm ET on CBS.
