Amie Harwick's ‘stalker’ ex pleads not guilty to throwing her off balcony, could face death penalty if convicted

LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA: Gareth Pursehouse, the alleged stalker, and murderer of the former fiancee of comedian Drew Carey, Amie Harwick, pleaded not guilty on Thursday, April 16. 

The 41-year-old man was charged with one count each of murder and first-degree residential burglary with the special circumstance allegation of lying in wait after the victim's body was found underneath the third-floor balcony of her Hollywood Hills apartment on February 15. The defendant was out of jail on a $2 million bond shortly after getting arrested. He was re-arrested this week on a no-bail warrant, Page Six reported. 

Pursehouse, the well-known therapist's ex-boyfriend, is accused of breaking into her Hollywood Hills residence and killing her after an altercation. The special circumstance allegation of lying in wait makes him eligible for the death penalty although the DA has not yet made a decision on whether they wished to seek capital punishment for Pursehouse.

Pursehouse was ordered to return to court on June 24.

Previously, the Los Angeles County coroner’s office said an autopsy determined how the 38-year-old former model suffered “manual strangulation” before being thrown off a third-floor balcony. The coroner ruled that Harwick's primary cause of death was from the blunt-force injuries to her head and torso that she suffered in the tragic fall. 

Investigators at the scene recorded "possible evidence of a struggle" before her death. The autopsy report also revealed Harwick was found with marks on her hands and fingers that were "consistent with a combination of defense and assault-type wounds."

Harwick had previously filed a restraining order against Pursehouse, which had expired. It was unclear when Harwick started dating Pursehouse but their relationship ended six years ago. 

It was reported that Harwick had “recently expressed concerns about an ex-boyfriend" and was seen with Pursehouse days prior to her death. Rudy Torres, Harwick's friend, told KABC that Pursehouse “was a stalker" who "didn’t take it well" after his split with the victim six years ago. “He’d do stupid stuff and say stupid stuff. You’d tell him, ‘Move on, dude, leave her alone’—and he wouldn’t," he said.

Aimie's best friend Robert Coshland described her as "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," Coshland remarked.

Drew Carey and Amie Harwick began dating in 2017 and announced they were getting engaged in 2018. However, the pair called it off less than a year into the union and the split was "very amicable," according to a rep for Carey.

"Amie and I had a love that people are lucky to have once in a lifetime," Carey said. "She was a positive force in the world, a tireless and unapologetic champion for women, and passionate about her work as a therapist. I am overcome with grief. I would like to thank you in advance for giving myself and everyone who loved Amie privacy while we try to work through this tragic situation."