LA man charged with killing ex, prominent family therapist

LOS ANGELES — A Los Angeles man suspected of killing his ex-girlfriend, a prominent family therapist and the former fiancee of comedian Drew Carey, was charged Wednesday with her murder.

Dr. Amie Harwick died over the weekend after Gareth Pursehouse allegedly threw her over the third-floor balcony of her Hollywood Hills apartment, the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office said.

Pursehouse faces charges including murder and first-degree residential burglary with the special circumstance allegation of lying in wait, making him eligible for the death penalty, prosecutors said.

It wasn’t immediately known if Pursehouse, 41, has an attorney. He’s scheduled to be arraigned Thursday.

Police responding early Saturday to reports of a woman screaming discovered Harwick, 38, on the ground below the balcony, prosecutors said. She died at a hospital.

Officers found evidence of a struggle and a forced entry to the home, police said.

Detectives learned Harwick had recently expressed fear about an ex-boyfriend and had previously filed a restraining order against him, according to a police statement.

The restraining order had expired, police said.

Harwick’s website described her as a marriage and sex therapist. She appeared on TV and radio and wrote a book called “The New Sex Bible for Women.”

Harwick was engaged in 2018 to Carey, the “Price is Right” host and former sitcom star.

“I hope you’re lucky enough to have someone in your life that loves as much as she did,” Carey said on Twitter. CBS cancelled tapings of the game show for the week while he mourns.

Carey shared a link to an online petition calling for an update to domestic violence laws.

Pursehouse was initially arrested Saturday and posted $2 million bond. He was re-arrested Wednesday on a no bail warrant.

The Associated Press