Just hours after posting a $2 million bond and being released from jail, Amie Harwick’s ex-boyfriend and her alleged killer has been re-arrested and charged with murder.
Gareth Pursehouse was re-arrested Wednesday on a no bail warrant, the Los Angeles District Attorney’s Office revealed in anews release.
Pursehouse, 41, has been charged with one count each of murder and first-degree residential burglary “with the special circumstance allegation of lying in wait.”
If convicted, Pursehouse could face the death penalty, according to the district attorney.
Pursehouse had initially been released at 10:25 p.m. on Tuesday after posting bail, Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Inmate Information Center records show. Less than 24 hours later, he was back behind bars.
Pursehouse’s arraignment is scheduled for Thursday, the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office announced. Pursehouse has yet to speak publicly about the incident.
Amie Harwick.Amie Harwick/Instagram
Police then went to check the residence and found Harwick unresponsive, lying on the ground beneath a third story balcony.
“She suffered significant injuries consistent with a fall,” police said in the press release.
An investigation into the incident revealed possible evidence of a struggle upstairs as well as forced entry.
“A canvass of the area located further evidence of an intruder entering the property and leaving after the murder,” police said in the press release.
Hours after the alleged assault, police arrested Pursehouse, 41, in Playa Del Rey. He was charged with murder, police said in the press release.
The Los Angeles Medical Examiner announced on Tuesday that Harwick’sautopsy had been completed. Shedied of blunt force injuriesto her head and torso.
In addition to the blunt force trauma, Los Angeles Medical Examiner Public Information Officer told PEOPLE there was also “evidence of manual strangulation” and Harwick’s death has been ruled a homicide.
The 38-year-old died of her injuries at the hospital Saturday, according to the coroner’s report.
Gareth Pursehouse.YouTube
Before her death on Saturday, Harwick wasgranted two restraining ordersagainst Pursehouse.
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Several outlets report Harwick went to court twice to seek restraining orders against Pursehouse, whom she dated more than a decade ago.
The Los Angeles Timesreportedthat Harwick was awarded a temporary restraining order in 2011 against Pursehouse. The order was dismissed a short time later when she failed to show up for a follow-up hearing at the Superior Court branch in Van Nuys.
All three outlets report the order expired two weeks ago — soon after Harwick and Pursehouse had a chance encounter at a Los Angeles event.
“She said that when he saw her, he just went ballistic,” friend Vera Duffy toldthe Times. “He lost it. He made a scene,” saying that she’d ruined his life.
“She was very scared. … She said, ‘What am I going to do? I let my roommate know, I have home security,’” Duffy recalled.
Ex-fiancé Carey, 61,spoke outabout Harwick’s death in a statement to PEOPLE on Monday saying, “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. 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,” Carey added.
On Tuesday, Careyshared a petition“Justice 4 Amie” that aims to update laws for victims of domestic violence.
Drew Carey and Amie Harwick.Instagram
“Please sign this petition and chip in if you can. Thank you and bless you,” Careywroteon Twitter.
“Domestic Violence is a serious concern for everyone,” the petition reads. “I recently lost a wonderful friend, Dr. Amie Harwick. She was murdered as a result of poor laws not protecting the victims and treating the offenders. I refuse to let her death be in vain. She was a doctor in the mental health field and advocate in the community. We need to do the same and advocate for Amie.”
The petition proposes that California lawmakers should prevent restraining orders from having an expiration date and require stalkers/abusers to take mandatory in-person, long term counseling.
The petition is also calling for California lawmakers to allow victims to have the choice of whether or not they want to testify against their abusers as well as introducing a stalker/abuser registry “made to warn others of the deviant behavior.”
“People shouldn’t have to die to make changes. If Amie’s murder can save countless others’ lives like she was doing when she was alive then it makes this pain of her death not in vain,” the petition reads.
The petition is asking more than 600,000 followers to sign and support the effort.
If you are experiencing domestic violence, call the National Domestic Violence Hotline at 1-800-799-7233, or go tothehotline.org. All calls are toll-free and confidential. The hotline is available 24/7 in more than 170 languages.
source: people.com
