Man accused of killing former girlfriend by throwing her over balcony found guilty

Editor's Note: Since this story was published, Pursehouse was sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole, according to a spokesperson with the Los Angeles County District Attorney's Office.

A man was convicted Thursday of killing his former girlfriend, Amie Harwick, a sex therapist who was once engaged to comedian Drew Carey, by throwing her over a balcony in February 2020.

Gareth Pursehouse, 45, was found guilty by a jury of one count of murder and first-degree residential burglary with a special circumstance allegation of lying in wait, according to the Los Angeles County District Attorney's Office.

Harwick was a former Playboy model who advocated for sex workers and supported a non-profit that subsidized mental health care for performers in the adult industry.

Pursehouse faces a maximum life sentence in state prison without the possibility of parole, according to a news release from the district attorney.

Autopsy results showed the primary cause of death as blunt force injuries to the head and torso from a fall after an altercation, a spokeswoman for the Los Angeles County Department of Medical Examiner-Coroner said at the time of her death.

Evidence of "manual strangulation" also was found, CNN reported previously.

"Today, justice has been served for Amie Harwick and her loved ones who have endured unimaginable pain throughout this terrible ordeal," Los Angeles County District Attorney George Gascón said in a statement. "Our thoughts and support remain with them as they begin to heal."

CNN reached out to Pursehouse's attorney for comment but did not immediately hear back.

Harwick, who specialized in family and sex counseling, had filed a restraining order against Pursehouse, police said, but it had expired.

When LAPD officers responded to reports of a "woman screaming," they met Harwick's roommate in the street who told them Harwick was being assaulted inside the home.

They found her beneath a third-story balcony, where she was "gravely injured" and unresponsive, LAPD said. An investigation showed forced entry into the home and a struggle upstairs.

Harwick became engaged to Carey, host of "The Price is Right," in 2018. The pair split less than a year later.

"Amie and I had a love that people are lucky to have once in a lifetime," Carey said in a statement to CNN at the time of her death. "She was positive force in the world, a tireless and unapologetic champion for women, and passionate about her work as a therapist."