Murder of Amie Harwick: Abusive ex-boyfriend Gareth Pursehouse threw the Hollywood sex therapist from her apartment window

48 Hours on ID examines the case of Amie Harwick, who was murdered at her home in Hollywood Hills on Valentine’s night in 2020.

The LAPD responded to reports of a woman screaming just after 1 am. On arriving at Harwick’s apartment complex, they were greeted by her roommate, who had first alerted cops and had escaped the apartment by jumping a fence.

Police found Amie Harwick’s body crumpled on the ground beneath her third-floor balcony. She had been strangled and thrown out of her apartment window.

Her ex-boyfriend Gareth Pursehouse was arrested the next day. Pursehouse, was a software engineer, photographer, and aspiring comedian when he was arrested and was charged with one count of murder and first-degree residential burglary, and of lying in wait.

Pursehouse and Harwick had dated for only a few months in 2010, but the effects of this brief relationship have proved long-lasting. Things had ended badly, and Pursehouse had shown himself to be controlling and abusive.

Harwick called ex-boyfriend Pursehouse her “stalker”

Harwick had filed restraining orders against him in 2011 and 2012; friends say she referred to him as her “stalker.”

Harwick revealed in 2011 how there had been multiple arguments when Pursehouse had choked her, suffocated her, punched her and pushed her into walls, or dropped her to the ground.

His arraignment is scheduled for April 16, and if found guilty, he faces the death penalty or life in prison without the possibility of parole.

Amie Harwick was a licensed marriage, family, and sex, therapist, and authored the book, The New Sex Bible for Women. She also appeared in the 2015 documentary, Addicted to Sexting.

The 38-year-old Hollywood sex therapist had once been engaged to The Price is Right host Drew Carey.

More from 48 Hours on ID

Follow the links to read about more crimes profiled on 48 Hours on ID

In a case that disturbed the nation, Tyerell Przybycien videoed 16-year-old Jchandra Brown hang herself in the woods in Utah. He had supplied the rope and driven her out to the woods. When he told the police he had helped her to kill herself, he didn’t see anything wrong in his actions.

Rachel DelTondo was shot dead in May 2018 on Mother’s Day in her parent’s driveway in Aliquippa, Pennsylvania. The 33-year-old teacher was shot at least ten times.

The murder remains unsolved, and suspects have ranged from her former fiance to a student she may or may not have had an affair with, to a possible gangland connection.

48 hours on ID – The Life and Death of Amie Harwick airs Sunday Apri 5, at 8/7c on ID.