LOS ANGELES – Late last week, a Los Angeles jury convicted Gareth Pursehouse of murder in the 2020 death of Amie Harwick, a family, marriage and sex therapist who provided care to members of the adult industry through Pineapple Support.
The jury found Pursehouse guilty of murder and first-degree residential burglary with the special circumstance of “lying in wait” as defined by California law, according to the Los Angeles County district attorney’s office.
On the morning of February 15, 2020, officers from the Los Angeles Police Department responded to a call reporting a woman screaming in Harwick’s Hollywood Hills neighborhood. Harwick’s roommate met the officers outside and told them Harwick was being assaulted.
The officers then found Harwick’s body below a third-story balcony, gravely injured in a way consistent with taking a long fall. She was taken to the hospital, where she later died.
At the time, there was an outpouring of grief from the adult industry, especially from those who worked directly with Harwick and/or had received counseling from her.
“I was so saddened to receive this news today,” model Emily Sears tweeted when news of Harwick’s murder first broke. “Dr Amie Harwick was my therapist. Her work changed my life. It’s truly heartbreaking that she passionately dedicated her life helping others heal from trauma and live freely. This shouldn’t have happened to her.”
Comedian Drew Carey, who was once engaged to Harwick, called her “a positive force in the world,” adding that Harwick was “a tireless and unapologetic champion for women, and passionate about her work as a therapist.”
According to media reports, Pursehouse and Harwick dated in the early 2010s and in the aftermath of their breakup, Harwick had filed multiple applications for restraining orders against Pursehouse, alleging that he’d struck her. In 2012, a year after their breakup, Harwick told a judge Pursehouse was continuing to harass her.
Later, about a month before the murder, Harwick and Pursehouse reportedly had a chance encounter at an adult industry awards show.
“Today, justice has been served for Amie Harwick and her loved ones who have endured unimaginable pain throughout this terrible ordeal,” L.A. County Dist. Atty. George Gascón said in a statement following the reading of the jury’s verdict. “Our thoughts and support remain with them as they begin to heal.”
As a result of the conviction, Pursehouse now faces a potential sentence of life without the possibility of parole. The next hearing in the case is scheduled for December 6.
Scales of justice photo by Shora Shimazaki from Pexels
