Amie Harwick ran into ex-boyfriend at an awards show a month before he murdered her: 'He was yelling at her'
Amie Harwick was found dead after her ex-boyfriend, Gareth Pursehouse, allegedly pushed her over a third-story balcony, on February 16, 2020. Her fellow therapist recalled an encounter that occurred a month before her death, where she was approached by Gareth twice.
Amie, 38, a sex therapist was invited to an awards show held at the JW Marriott in Los Angeles on January 16, 2020. Her friend, Hernando Chaves, also a sex therapist, told People, "She was gorgeous. She was so thrilled to be on the red carpet."
Chaves added that Amie, who is the ex-fiancee of the 'Price Is Right' host Drew Carey, had an encounter with Gareth, 41, who came to the event to take photographs.
Chaves told People, "Initially, he reacted with anger and hostility and he was yelling and she kind of jumped into therapist mode." He added that Amie was “taught and trained to deescalate and she had to do her best to deescalate the moment.”
After the first encounter, Chaves said Gareth went up to Amie again after the show. "It was a very tense, very anxious and very fearful night for her in many respects. I’m sure it was one of the most difficult nights of her life," Chaves continued.
On February 16, 2020, a month after, Amie was found dead after being allegedly thrown off the third-story balcony of her home, by Gareth. This past Wednesday, Gareth was charged with residential burglary and murder, "with the special circumstance allegation of lying in wait."
Gareth, who is a software developer and a photographer, is currently being held with no bail at Los Angeles County Jail.
Amie had two protective orders against Gareth for threatening behavior, which friends described as "stalking." She was given a protective order in 2011, but that expired last month.
Aimie's best friend Robert Coshland said, "She was an outspoken advocate for women. She would talk about these kinds of statistics about women being injured and killed by boyfriends. She became a statistic of something she actively talked about and lectured and helped people with all the time. It’s just doubly, triply tragic."
On Tuesday, it was confirmed by the coroner that Amie passed away from blunt force injuries to her head and her torso, and there was evidence of manual strangulation as well.