LOS ANGELES—A jury has found Gareth Pursehouse guilty of murder in the first degree in the February 2020 slaying of former model and celebrity relationship therapist Amie Harwick. The jury on Thursday returned two guilty verdicts of the charges of murder in the first degree and burglary.
Pursehouse, 45, potentially faces a life sentence in prison.
Harwick and Pursehouse dated for a period of time. Harwick broke off the relationship with him for being emotionally and physically abusive. She also took out a restraining order against him.
Both ran into each other at the 2020 edition of the XBIZ Awards in January of that year.
Shortly after the event, Harwick started receiving texts from Pursehouse saying that he found her phone number and information on the internet. The encounter at the XBIZ Awards and the texts prompted Harwick to invest in new locks and security for her flat in the Hollywood Hills.
On February 15, 2020, Pursehouse broke into Harwick’s home with what his defense attorney said was an intention to “talk.”
Prosecutors said that Pursehouse intended to harm Harwick by injecting her with a lethal dose of nicotine in a syringe he had on him. He proceeded to throw her off her balcony, resulting in her death, explained the prosecutor in the case.
The prosecutors for the Los Angeles District Attorney called Pursehouse “obsessed” with Harwick, despite not interacting for years after the breakup and the restraining order was issued.
Pursehouse was arrested days later by patrol officers of the Los Angeles Police Department.
Counsel for Pursehouse argued he was suicidal and intended to use the syringe on himself. They also argued that Harwick fell from her balcony by mistake.
Harwick, who authored The New Sex Bible for Women (2014), was also engaged in health and wellness efforts in the adult industry. She had recently begun work with Pineapple Support and had authored The New Sex Bible for Women. She was briefly engaged to comedian Drew Carey who was subpoenaed by the defense to testify during the trial potentially.
Pursehouse was a one-time photographer in the adult industry.
