Who was Amie Harwick and what happened to her?
THE LIFE of famed marriage and family therapist Amie Harwick came to an end on February 15, 2020.
On September 28, 2023, a jury found Harwick's ex-boyfriend guilty of her murder, and he was sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole on December 6, 2023.
Who was Amie Harwick?
Amie Harwick was a writer and marriage and family therapist who was born on May 20, 1981, in Sellersville, Pennsylvania.
She studied psychology at California Polytechnic University and also worked as a Playboy model.
Harwick was arguably best known for her career in Hollywood and had appeared in the 2015 documentary Addicted to Sexting.
In 2016, she appeared on the reality TV show Braxton Family Values featuring singer Toni Braxton.
As a writer, she was known for publishing the 2014 book, The New Sex Bible for Women, which is on Amazon as "an all-encompassing and fully comprehensive guide for women covering everything from masturbation, oral sex, self-esteem and self-care, sex positions, safety and concerns, and sex aides."
What happened to Amie Harwick?
On February 15, 2020, Harwick was found unresponsive beneath a third-story balcony at her home in California.
At the time, officers were responding to a report of a “woman screaming” in a Hollywood Hills neighborhood, the Los Angeles Police Department said in a statement.
She had been thrown from her third-floor apartment's balcony, according to police.
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An autopsy confirmed she died of blunt force trauma to the head and torso as a result of being thrown off the balcony. It also revealed Harwick had been strangled.
Police believed that Harwick was murdered by an ex-boyfriend, Gareth Pursehouse, after the restraining order she took out against him expired.
He was arrested and charged with murder and burglary in 2020. He was released on a $2 million bond following his arrest. However, shortly after he was released, he was taken into custody again due to a no-bail warrant. He is currently at the Los Angeles County jail awaiting trial.
On September 28, 2023, a jury found Pursehouse guilty of first-degree murder, as well as, first-degree burglary, in relation to Harwick's death.
On Wednesday, December 6, 2023, Pursehouse was sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole.
He was also ordered to pay $7,500 for Harwick's funeral costs.
Pursehouse also has to pay restitution to Harwick's parents, meaning he has to reimburse them for all travel, lodging, and food costs they incurred as a result of the court proceedings.
Was Amie Harwick married?
Over the years, Harwick has been linked to several high-profile people, including Red Hot Chili Peppers guitarist Dave Navarro, but it was her relationship with The Price Is Right host Drew Carey that was highly publicized.
The pair announced their engagement in January 2018 but ultimately parted ways later that year.
During an April 2020 appearance on , Carey said he had forgiven the man who allegedly murdered his ex-fiancée.
“I really try to practice, and I fall short all the time, I really try to practice instant forgiveness and unconditional love,” Carey said at the time.
Explaining his reasons, the star added: “The closest you can get to that, the better you are.”
Carey said after taking a week off The Price Is Right because he could not “function,” he decided to forgive.
“My first day back [on set] we taped the high school show for ‘Kids Week.’ It was all high school kids. It was my very first show back, and everybody knew what happened to me. And so I took time during the break to talk to these kids,” he said.
Carey said he told the school kids: “I wish he never did it. I wish he never met her, [but I forgive him because] when you forgive people that doesn’t mean you have to hang out with them either.”
“It’s important for high school kids to hear, people in general to hear,” Carey said.
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Carey reflected on Harwick's death two years later in an interview with CBS' 48 Hours.
"I don't know if I'll ever want to celebrate Valentine's Day with a dinner. You know? I just don't want to do anything," he told interviewer Erin Moriarty.