UPDATE (2/21/29 @ 2:00 p.m. ET) The Los Angeles County Coroner has listed the cause of death for Dr. Amie Harwick as “Blunt force injuries of the head and torso.” The initial coroner’s report also said there was “evidence of manual strangulation,” and that the injury occurred because Amie “fell from balcony after altercation.”
UPDATE (2/17/2020 @ 6:04 p.m. ET): Drew Carey has broken his silence about Amie’s tragic passing. “Amie and I had a love that people are lucky to have once in a lifetime. She was a positive force in the world, a tireless and unapologetic champion for women, and passionate about her work as a therapist,” he said in a statement on Monday, Feb. 17. “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.”
Dr. Amie Harwick has been murdered. The 38-year-old, who was previously engaged to comedian Drew Carey, 61 — was found dead after an alleged attack by ex-boyfriend Gareth Pursehouse, 41, that caused her to fall from a third floor balcony. Gareth has since been arrested and booked for murder. Learn more about Amie, who dated Drew in 2017 and later became engaged to him.
1. She was murdered. A statement from LAPD Media Relations Public Communications Group of the Media Relations Division: The Los Angeles Police Department’s West Bureau Homicide detectives are investigating the homicide of Doctor Amie Harwick, a Hollywood Family Therapist. The suspect (former boyfriend) has been identified as, 41-year-old Gareth Pursehouse, a resident of Playa Del Rey, and was arrested for Murder. On Saturday, February 15, 2020, around 1:16 a.m. Hollywood patrol officers responded to a radio call of a, “Woman Screaming”, in the 2000 block of Mound Street in Hollywood Hills. When officers arrived, they were met by a roommate who was in the street. He informed officers that the victim was being assaulted inside of her residence. The roommate had jumped a wall and went to neighboring residences to call for help. When officers went to make entry, they found the victim on the ground beneath a third story balcony. The victim was gravely injured. She suffered significant injuries consistent with a fall. The victim was unresponsive. The Los Angeles Fire Department transported the victim to a local hospital where she later died from her injuries.
The investigation revealed possible evidence of a struggle in the upstairs as well as forced entry to the residence. A canvass of the area located further evidence of an intruder (suspect) entering the property and leaving after the murder. Detectives learned that victim had recently expressed fear about a former boyfriend and had previously filed a restraining order against this person. The restraining order had expired and the victim had seen this former boyfriend two weeks ago.
On February 15, 2020, around 4:30 p.m., FBI-LAPD Fugitive Task Force members arrested the suspect outside of a residence in the 8100 block of Cabora Drive in Playa Del Rey. This is an ongoing investigation and this case will be presented to the District Attorney for filing consideration on Wednesday, February 19, 2020.
2. She previously had a restraining order. Fearing her ex-boyfriend Gareth, Amie had previously filed paperwork to prevent him from coming near her. She went to police with concerns that he may cause her harm. Cops confirmed that the restraining order ended two weeks ago and that the pair had recently seen each other to TMZ.
3. She was engaged to Drew Carey. The couple were first linked after Drew shared a flirty photo from DJ Kaskade‘s Las Vegas show in 2017, and met a house party in Los Angeles earlier that year. “Had an awesome time w @amienicole13 watching @kaskade in #Vegas during #EDC week,” Drew captioned the sweet photo. The Price Is Right host popped the question just months later on Feb. 1, 2018. The engagement, however, was short lived with the pair going their separate ways in Nov. 2018. His rep called the split “very amicable.”
4. She was a therapist. Amie was a licensed marriage and family therapist, holding both a Bachelors of Arts in Psychology from California Polytechnic University and Masters of Arts in Clinical Psychology with an emphasis on Marriage and Family Therapy from Pepperdine University in Malibu, CA. In addition, she also holds a Doctorate of Human Sexuality from the Institute for Advanced Study of Human Sexuality. She had an active practice working with patients of all backgrounds, including those suffering from anxiety, bipolar disorder, depression and more.
5. She was published. Amie was a published author, writing The New Sex Bible for Women: The Complete Guide to Sexual Self-Awareness and Intimacy in 2014. The book aims to educate women on their own bodies and sexuality, using examples of scientific studies.