Hollywood sex therapist Amie Harwick had requested two restraining orders against the ex-boyfriend accused of murdering her, it has been revealed.
The 38-year-old was found unconscious on the ground at around 1.15am on Saturday after officers responded 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 and the coroner confirmed Tuesday that she died of blunt force injuries to her head and torso.
Authorities said they arrested Gareth Pursehouse, 41, at around 4.30pm on Saturday in Playa Del Rey on suspicion of murder.
It is not known how Pursehouse allegedly knew where Amie was now living, but the pair had shared a home together ten years ago. Harwick first got a temporary restraining order against Pursehouse in 2011 and then again a year later.
Now friends say it was the former couple’s chance meeting last month at an event he was photographing that ‘reignited his obsessive preoccupation with her’.
Beverly Hills sex therapist Hernando Chaves told The LA Times: ‘It was the absolute worst possible luck.’ Friend Vera Duffy added: ‘She said that when he saw her, he just went ballistic. He lost it. He made a scene.’
Hollywood sex therapist Amie Harwick, left, had requested a second restraining order against the ex-boyfriend accused of murdering her. Gareth Pursehouse, right, has been arrested and charged with murder, according to the Los Angeles Police Department
Chaves added: ‘She was very scared. She said, “What am I going to do? I let my roommate know, I have home security”. ‘
Harwick first got a temporary restraining order against Pursehouse in 2011. After she did not attend a follow-up hearing the order was reportedly dismissed ‘for lack of prosecution’.
Then in April 2012 a judge granted her request for protection after she got another temporary restraining order. That order expired two weeks ago.
Harwick had previously told friends she feared he would hurt her.
Friend Eric Breslow told KTLA: ‘This was a constant thing that she talked about, that she was afraid of this particular guy and it was always something that kind of followed her. It scared her enough to tell friends that, gee, I think I should get some mace or pepper spray.’
The doctor’s roommate told police that after Pursehouse broke in, they ran out of the apartment to get help for her.
By the time officers arrived at the property, she had been thrown from the balcony.
Amie’s ex-fiance Drew Carey paid tribute to Harwick Monday. The Price Is Right host said: ‘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.’
His statement came after it was announced that the show has cancelled this week’s tapings.
In a statement Drew Carey, picture with Amie, said: ‘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’
Amie was found unconscious on the ground at around 1.15am on Saturday after officers responded to a report of a ‘woman screaming’ in a Hollywood Hills neighborhood
According to his LinkedIn profile, Pursehouse has worked as a photographer as well as a software engineer and developer. His most recent job was as lead architect at Internet Brands.
Hours after Harwick died and before his arrest, Pursehouse, who is active on Twitter, posted messages on the site.
‘You can’t get fit without that new gym clothing,’ he wrote at 9.07am on Saturday. ‘But they won’t give you that gear until you’re fit. Soo … Tough t***ies bucko.’
Hours before the alleged murder, Pursehouse tweeted about politics. ‘I can’t figure out why gerrymandering isn’t a federal crime,’ he wrote.
His Twitter page is full of tweets critical of President Donald Trump.
‘Reminder… Once Trump is not president, the FBI can prosecute him for all the Mueller report findings…,’ he wrote on Wednesday.
According to his LinkedIn profile, Pursehouse, pictured, has worked as a photographer as well as a software engineer and developer. His most recent job was as lead architect at Internet Brands. Hours after Harwick died Pursehouse posted messages on Twitter
Harwick was found unconscious after falling from a third-floor balcony in her home, pictured
Carey and Harwick first made their relationship public in June 2017. They were engaged in January 2018.
Wendy Williams, 55, has come under fire for making a tasteless joke about her death, telling viewers: ‘She was killed… not by Drew, but by the ex… come on down,’ using Carey’s catch-phrase from The Price Is Right.
Harwick, the author of The New Sex Bible for Women, and Carey split in November 2018 after dating for more than a year.
Harwick is a well known sex and family therapist in the Hollywood area.
She received her degree in psychology from California Polytechnic University in Pomona, California.
Harwick also earned her masters of arts in clinical psychology from Pepperdine University.
In 2015, Harwick appeared in the popular online documentary titled Addicted to Sexting.
A year later, she made an appearance on the reality television show Braxton Family Values.
The show, which airs on WE tv, follows the lives of the Braxton sisters – Toni, Tamar, Traci, Towanda, and Trina – as well as their mother, Evelyn.
Harwick also published articles in various online news and advice sites. According to her web site, she worked out of an office on Santa Monica Boulevard.
She offered weekly therapy sessions at $200 per session, according to her site.