Amie Harwick // 467

Summary

Podcast Summary: Going West: True Crime - Episode 467: Amie Harwick

Podcast Information:

• Title: Going West: True Crime
• Hosts: Daphne Woolsoncroft and Heath Merryman
• Episode: Amie Harwick // 467
• Release Date: January 10, 2025

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Introduction

In Episode 467 of Going West: True Crime, hosts Daphne Woolsoncroft and Heath Merryman delve into the tragic and harrowing murder case of Amy Harwick, a prominent sex therapist in Los Angeles. Despite Amy's significant contributions to her field and her vibrant personal life, her untimely death in 2020 remained under the radar, possibly overshadowed by the burgeoning COVID-19 pandemic. This episode meticulously examines the events leading up to Amy's murder, her relationship with Gareth Pursehouse, the investigation, and the subsequent trial that culminated in Gareth's conviction.

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Amy Harwick: A Life of Passion and Purpose

Background and Early Life (00:03:19 - 00:05:27)

Amy Harwick was born on May 20, 1981, in Sellersville, Pennsylvania, and was adopted at 11 months old by Penny and Tom Harwick. Growing up in Lansdale, she graduated from North Penn High School in 1999, developing a fervent love for heavy metal music, live concerts, horror movies, and taxidermy. Amy's diverse interests and eccentric personality made her a beloved figure among friends and family.

Academic and Professional Journey (00:05:27 - 00:06:38)

Amy pursued higher education with unwavering dedication, earning multiple degrees:

• Undergraduate Degree: California Polytechnic State University (Cal Poly) in San Luis Obispo.
• Masters of Arts in Clinical Psychology: Pepperdine University, Malibu.
• Doctorate of Human Sexuality: Institute of Advanced Study of Human Sexuality.

Beyond academia, Amy modeled for various brands, posed for Playboy, and cultivated a passion for photography. However, her true calling lay in helping others. As a licensed marriage and family therapist specializing in sex therapy, Amy fervently supported marginalized women, including sex workers and victims of sexual exploitation. Her commitment extended to volunteering for Pineapple Support, a nonprofit offering counseling services to those in the adult entertainment industry. Amy's impactful work was encapsulated in her 2014 book, The New Sex Bible: The Complete Guide to Sexual Self-Awareness and Intimacy.

Personal Life and Relationships (00:06:38 - 00:14:25)

Amy's personal life was marked by both triumphs and tribulations. After a brief marriage to drummer Tommy, Amy faced a challenging divorce, prompting her to immerse herself in her career. Her relationship with comedian Drew Carey was a whirlwind romance, culminating in an engagement in Paris in early 2018. Despite their deep connection, Amy ended the engagement later that year, leading Drew to reflect on their once-in-a-lifetime love.

However, Amy's past relationships, particularly with Gareth Pursehouse, cast a dark shadow over her life. Amy and Gareth met in 2009, and their two-year relationship was marred by Gareth's abusive behavior. Multiple restraining orders were filed due to Gareth's physical assaults, including choking, suffocating, and striking Amy, leading to severe injuries like a bloody nose. Despite the restraining order, Gareth's obsession persisted, culminating in Amy's tragic murder in 2020.

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The Unfolding of Amy Harwick's Murder

Gareth Pursehouse: The Obsessive Ex-Boyfriend (00:14:25 - 00:20:05)

Gareth Pursehouse, a 41-year-old software engineer with side gigs as a photographer and comedian, appeared charming but harbored a deep-seated obsession with Amy. Friends described Gareth as loud and fun, but his inability to move on after their breakup led to repeated physical assaults on Amy. Despite the restraining order, Gareth's intrusive behavior escalated, including breaking into Amy's home multiple times, vandalizing her property, and sending unsolicited nude photographs that jeopardized Amy's professional opportunities.

The Valentine's Day Confrontation (00:20:05 - 00:43:45)

On January 16, 2020, Amy's fears materialized when she unexpectedly encountered Gareth at an awards ceremony hosted by XBIZ. The public confrontation was intense, with Gareth berating Amy for "ruining his life," causing her immense distress. Despite Amy's attempts to de-escalate the situation, Gareth's aggression persisted, eventually leading him to track down Amy's phone number and bombard her with obsessive text messages and voicemails.

The tragic culmination occurred on February 14, 2020, Valentine's Day. Amy was preparing to attend a burlesque show when Gareth infiltrated her Hollywood Hills home, brutally attacking her. Amy's roommate, Michael Herman, initially unaware of the severity of the situation, eventually called 911 after hearing Amy's screams. Emergency responders found Amy with injuries from both the assault and the subsequent fall from her balcony. Despite being rushed to the hospital, Amy succumbed to her injuries approximately two hours later.

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Investigation and Evidence

Initial Investigation (00:43:45 - 00:35:35)

Police quickly identified Gareth as the primary suspect due to his history with Amy and the physical evidence found at the scene. Despite his initial attempts to feign ignorance, including lying about his alibi and the source of his injuries, forensic evidence, such as Gareth's DNA under Amy's fingernails and blood spatters matching his DNA on the balcony, solidified the case against him.

Gareth's Arrest and Trial (00:35:35 - 00:43:45)

Gareth was arrested shortly after Amy's murder, initially released on a $2 million bail before being detained again on a no-bail warrant. His behavior during detention and interactions with friends showcased his disturbed state of mind, as he concocted illogical plans and made absurd jokes from prison. During the trial, Gareth's defense team attempted to shift blame onto Amy, suggesting she provoked the confrontation. However, the overwhelming evidence and Gareth's own admissions led to his conviction on September 27, 2023. On December 6, 2023, Gareth was sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole at the age of 45.

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Impact and Reflections

Community and Personal Reactions (00:37:11 - 00:43:45)

The murder of Amy Harwick sent shockwaves through her community, drawing condolences and support from friends, family, and former associates like Drew Carey. Amy's parents and friends expressed deep frustration and sorrow over the systemic failures that allowed Gareth's obsession to persist unchecked for nearly a decade. The case highlighted significant issues related to domestic abuse, stalking, and the challenges victims face in securing protection against relentless abusers.

Legacy of Amy Harwick (00:43:45 - End)

Amy Harwick's legacy endures through her impactful work as a sex therapist and advocate for marginalized women. Her dedication to helping others and her vibrant personality left an indelible mark on those who knew her. The tragic circumstances of her death serve as a poignant reminder of the dangers posed by obsessive and abusive individuals, emphasizing the need for effective protective measures and support systems for victims.

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Notable Quotes

• Daphne Woolsoncroft (00:00:47): "This story has everything. It has Hollywood success, stalking, and the extremely untimely murder of a well-known figure in LA."

• Heath Merryman (00:02:31): "A lot of these guys are not threatened by that piece of paper. They will play the system. They'll wait until they have their opportunity and then they'll do whatever they feel they need to do to seek revenge."

• Gareth Pursehouse (20:21:02): "Hello, everybody. All right, let me spin around this..."

• Daphne Woolsoncroft (29:45): "He was waiting in her house for four hours."

• Heath Merryman (39:01): "He's completely insane."

• Deputy District Attorney Catherine Mariano (35:35): "Gareth wanted to make a statement. A statement by murdering Amy on Valentine's Day."

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Conclusion

Episode 467 of Going West: True Crime masterfully unravels the complexities and dark nuances of Amy Harwick's murder case. Through detailed narratives, emotional reflections, and compelling evidence, hosts Daphne Woolsoncroft and Heath Merryman shed light on a story of love, obsession, and tragic loss. Amy Harwick's life and untimely death underscore the critical need for vigilance and support in cases of domestic abuse and stalking, leaving listeners both informed and profoundly moved.

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Follow-Up and Resources:

• Social Media: For additional content, photos, and video clips related to Amy and Gareth, listeners are encouraged to follow Going West on Instagram and Facebook.
• Upcoming Episodes: Stay tuned for new episodes released every Tuesday and Friday, exploring more true crime stories from the West.

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This summary captures the essence and detailed proceedings of Episode 467, providing a comprehensive overview for those who haven't listened to the podcast.

Transcript

[Heath]

Foreign. What is going on, true crime fans? I'm your host, Heath.

[Daphne]

And I'm your host, Daphne.

[Heath]

And you're listening to Going West.

[Daphne]

Hello, everybody. Hope you're doing well. For those of you who are new here, welcome. We have a notable and tragic solved murder case for you guys today that happened here in L. A in 2020, actually. And I'm so surprised I didn't hear about this, like, in the news at the time, but I kind of wonder if Covid maybe overshadowed it because this happened literally just after concerns in the US Were really starting to rise about, you know, the spread of COVID So.

[Heath]

Yeah, I definitely feel like that must have been it because this story has everything. It has Hollywood success. Stalking in the extremely untimely murder of a well known figure in LA was in various podcasts, TV shows, YouTube interviews.

[Daphne]

Et cetera, which makes it so shocking that this didn't get the attention it deserves because it's such a devastating story. None of this should have happened to this amazing and inspiring woman. But let's not get ahead of ourselves. Let's dive right into this one.

[Heath]

Yes, I will say, you guys are gonna hate this guy today. All right, guys, this is episode 467 of Going West. So let's get into it. Famous sex therapist pushed to her death in the Hollywood Hills.

[Gareth]

An ex boyfriend now accused of her murder.

[Daphne]

Amy Harwick, died in 2020 after falling from the bedroom balcony of her Hollywood Hills home. Her former boyfriend is on trial for her murder, a man Harwick had a restraining order against until two weeks ago when it expired.

[Heath]

He was a stalker. When they broke up, he didn't take it well at all. You tell him, like, move on, dude. Leave it alone. He wouldn't.

[Daphne]

Prosecutors believe Pursehouse broke into Harwick's home while she was out with friends, waited until she returned, and then strangled her and threw her off the balcony.

[Heath]

A lot of these guys are not threatened by that piece of paper. They're not. They will play the system. They'll wait until they have their opportunity, and then they'll do whatever they feel they need to do to seek revenge.

[Daphne]

Harwick's friends say they wish they could have done more.

[Heath]

I just feel like we failed her. The system has failed her.

[Daphne]

Amy Harwick was born on May 20, 1981, in Sellersville, Pennsylvania, which is located in Bucks county, right in between Philadelphia and Allentown. At the age of 11 months old, Amy was adopted by Penny and Tom Harwick and was joined by a younger brother named Chris about four years later. She grew up in nearby Lansdale, Pennsylvania, graduating from North Penn High School in 1999. And at this point, Amy was very passionate about music, especially heavy metal, and definitely had a love for live concerts. She went to as many as possible. Like her parents wrote, quote, she was as comfortable in a mosh pit as she was dancing with her mom on stage with the Beach Boys. She also loved horror movies and had a flair for the eccentric. Like, for example, she even collected taxidermy.

[Heath]

So essentially, she's just badass. She loves horror movies, she loves metal music, and I guess, taxidermy.

[Daphne]

Yeah, no, she. She genuinely seems like such an amazing person. And her. A little bit more on her. Actually her memorial website reads, quote, she was fun, quirky, and as individual as her fondness for the eclectic and strange. After graduating from high school, Amy met a drummer named Tommy who played with a band from Los Angeles. And, you know, as their romance progressed, she decided to move out to LA to be with him, which was definitely tough for her family to kind of accept the idea of her living across the country as it is for many parents. But she made a point of visiting often. Amy and Tommy married when she was in her early 20s, but the union didn't last very long because just a few years later, they filed for divorce. After this, Amy really threw herself into her work and her creative endeavors, ready to make her dreams come true. She completed her undergraduate degree at California Polytechnic State University, also known as Cal Poly in San Luis Obispo, and went on to pursue her Masters of Arts in Clinical Psychology at Pepperdine University in Malibu.

[Heath]

That university is so beautiful. It's right on the ocean. Gorgeous.

[Daphne]

The most where Zoe 101 was filmed. Finally, she completed her Doctorate of Human Sexuality at the Institute of Advanced Study of Human Sexuality. So she was in college for years, working towards her goal, collecting multiple degrees. In addition to her flourishing academic career. Amy modeled for various clothing brands, as well as posing for Playboy in her spare time. She also loved exploring her hobby of photography. But those who knew her best would tell you that her true calling was helping people, and specifically women.

[Heath]

Now, Amy began practicing as a licensed marriage and family therapist, but she specialized in sex therapy and had a particular devotion to working with marginalized female clients, such as sex workers, victims of sexual exploitation, and those who struggled with their own sexual identity. She also volunteered for Pineapple Support, which is a nonprofit organization that works to provide low and no cost counseling services to those who work in the adult entertainment industry.

[Daphne]

Love that.

[Heath]

Yeah, and this is exactly the type of company that Amy would work for because she was so passionate about speaking out about these causes, and she regularly posted about them on her highly trafficked social media pages. She was also a frequent contributor to news segment interviews and often offered her thoughts in written columns. Her work culminated in a book that she published in 2014 that was entitled the New Sex Bible for the Complete Guide to Sexual Self Awareness and Intimacy. While attending a party in 2017, she met 58 year old comedian and the host of the Price is Right, Drew Carey. Naturally, he fell hard and quickly for her and they were engaged in Paris in early 2018. So definitely what you'd consider kind of a whirlwind romance. Though Amy ended the engagement later that year, Drew has spoken glowingly of her, even saying, quote, amy and I had a love that people are lucky to have once in a lifetime. According to her parents, despite the love between them, the newfound fame and public attention that Amy was experiencing around this time were kind of a struggle for her. Her parents, Penny and Tom, also claimed that she feared the wrath from a bitter and vengeful ex boyfriend. So let's talk a little bit about this guy. Amy met Gareth Pursehouse at a party in 2009 while she worked as a hostess at a restaurant in her late 20s while she was putting herself through school. And Gareth was about 31 at this time. Now, Gareth was tall, striking and charming, but those who knew him best describe him as unassuming and even kind of.

[Daphne]

Nerdy, as you guys are gonna see from a really cringey audio clip we're gonna play here in a bit.

[Heath]

Oh my God. Yeah, it's so bad. Well, he worked as a software engineer, but would frequently moonlight as an events photographer and a comedian. So on its face, he kind of seems like the type of guy that Amy would be drawn to. I mean, she loves photography, she loves comedians, and a friend of Amy's described him by saying he was very loud, fun, smiley. He was one of the nightlife photographers. It was very clear that he was taken by her because he would always want to take a lot of pictures of her.

[Daphne]

So after meeting at this party, Amy and Gareth dated for two years. But during that time, she was forced to report him to the police multiple times after he physically assaulted her. Now, at various points in their relationship, Garrett had choked, suffocated, and struck her, and even had given her a bloody nose. So, rightfully fed up with his abuse, Amy ended the relationship again after a couple years and secured a restraining order against him. But Gareth's obsession with her Continued in the complaint, she wrote, quote, he has told me he hit me because I made him so mad. He refused to get help in the relationship. But again, he was really not over things after they broke up. Because here's the thing. In the year after Amy and Gareth split up, Amy's house was broken into multiple times. Like, in one instance, the person wiped her computer, and in another, they stole some of her personal photographs and broke nearly a dozen picture frames by smashing them against her door.

[Heath]

Now, obviously, we know who this is. This is Gareth.

[Daphne]

Yeah, exactly. So I'm just going to start saying Gareth now. So Gareth claims that some of these gestures, he said this later on, were an attempt to be romantic in nature rather than threatening.

[Heath]

Okay.

[Daphne]

He once taped four dozen flowers to her door, and another time he stood outside her house playing music.

[Heath]

It kind of seems like he's like, he's going back and forth. He's trying to see what's going to work. Like, is the anger going to work or is the taping the flowers on the door going to work for him? You know what I mean?

[Daphne]

Yeah. And I feel like this really shows his mental state at the time. Kind of like maybe love bombing her a little bit, but also getting mad that she's not giving him attention. But she. She doesn't want any of this from you. And it's such insane behavior to abuse her. Break into her house and then claim you're being romantic because a couple things you did were, like, softer and not aggressive.

[Heath]

Yeah. I mean, this whole thing that he's doing with the roses, like, she doesn't want your roses and she doesn't want your sad John Cusack and say anything kind of weird bit.

[Daphne]

Yes, exactly.

[Heath]

And I know that's where that bastard got it from.

[Daphne]

Yeah. So she doesn't want any of this. And when she went to the police about it and obviously couldn't prove the crime was perpetuated by Gareth, she was unable to press charges. And it's so messed up. But at one point, she actually lost a job opportunity when her prospective employers received nude photographs of her, which, of course are believed to have been sent by Gareth, which makes me mad for multiple reasons. Like, God forbid, we're all naked under our clothes, you know?

[Heath]

Yeah. Like, why would you not be able to get a, like, a job? Because of that. Obviously they know that you're not the one that sent those photos. So why weren't they just like, oh, well, someone's like, with you, you know?

[Daphne]

Yeah. It just feels like sexist. So to her frustration as well. Amy's restraining order against Gareth expired in 2015, but she kept pushing through. She was working hard in her career. She dated Drew Carey for a bit, and she just tried to keep going. But unfortunately, on January 16, 2020, one month before today's murder story takes place, she happened to run into Gareth at an event. So because of her work with Pineapple support, Amy was invited to walk the red carpet of an award show put on by xbiz, which is a publication focused on the adult entertainment and sex work industry. And this is where they saw each other, because Gareth happened to be photographing the event. When she saw him, she was sort of sent on a downward spiral, understandably so, with multiple onlookers watching as he confronted her, angrily calling her a and saying she ruined his life. Remember, this is years after their breakup. They haven't spoken or seen each other in, again, years. And there's actually some footage of this, not of him verbally harassing her there, but her on the red carpet looking amazing and him kind of lurking behind the other photographers. So we will post that on our socials for everybody to see.

[Heath]

And, I mean, this piece of shit caused such a scene that a fellow sex therapist named Hernando Chavez, who attended the event alongside Amy, remembers an acquaintance of theirs running up to him, to Hernando while he was waiting in line at the bar and saying, quote, you need to get over here. This guy's yelling at your friend. Then Hernando ran to find Amy after hearing this, who was still on the red carpet being accosted by Gareth. Hernando remembers Gareth yelling at her, you're a hypocrite. You broke my heart. How can you be here? And at one point, he was so despondent that he collapsed onto the ground in the fetal position.

[Daphne]

I mean, not only is that unhinged and scary, but then you're a baby. It's so unprofessional.

[Heath]

Yeah, you just look like a man, baby bro.

[Daphne]

You're at work.

[Heath]

Well, another friend of Amy's named Robert Koshland recalls, quote, he was reciting voicemails from 2012 at her. Remember, this is 2020 reciting.

[Daphne]

Like he memorized them.

[Heath]

Yeah, like he memorized them. So Amy just did what she kind of could to soothe him and coax him away from all the onlookers. And Hernando remembers, quote, she was in what I saw as therapist mode. I saw her nodding her head, listening. She was trying to de. Escalate the situation. So she's basically just doing her Job with her ex psychotic boyfriend.

[Daphne]

Well, and I think because of her job as well, she's so mature. She knows how to handle people in this type of state. But she shouldn't have to be doing this to this guy who's saying horrible things to her and is harassing her in public. But she is anyway because she's a nice person.

[Heath]

Well, because Amy was such a nice person, she sat him down on a bench nearby and calmed him down for 45 minutes until Hernando broke them up. Because the red carpet was closing and the ceremony was about to begin, so she needed to get inside and carry on with her night. But in the middle of the awards show, Gareth approached her table and pulled her aside to speak to her again. And this time they talked for about 30 minutes or so. Now, Amy did have plans to go out after this show, but claimed that she was just too disturbed by the encounter with Gareth to follow through with these plans. Plans. Both Hernando and Robert remember her being afraid after this happened and wanting to put a plan in place for her safety. After this, she began sharing her location with Robert and she even bought pepper spray.

[Daphne]

Amy's fears did not deter Gareth's efforts at all. If anything, this encounter at this award show made things so much more intense and so much worse. And he continued to make brazen grabs for her attention. He tracked down her phone number on the Internet. Seemed like she either changed it since they had dated or then like maybe blocked him and then unblocked his number. We couldn't find this for sure. And basically he sent her a flood of angry text messages. Initially, she texted him back by accident. Gareth wrote, quote, I interneted your number, recognize it now that I see it, if I'm allowed to text. Amy responded again, seemingly by accident, with a series of P's like, like the letter P. To which Gareth joked back, because he's so frickin funny. Guess we shall all pee. Like pee.

[Heath]

Lol. You're so dumb.

[Daphne]

So dumb. So Amy responded later saying, quote, my text was left open and I'm on a call. Sorry. Seeing this as an opportunity to keep chatting, Gareth then texted her, quote, not sure if you're done cause you said, how do we finish this now, last night, but if we meet again. Amy responded of course, kindly and respectfully, but maintained her boundary with him, saying, quote, I think it was really good that we were able to speak last night. I'm sure there's a lot more that you want to process and say to me, but I think that was a lot for both of us. I hope you were able to hear me last night when I said that I was sorry for anything that caused you suffering and that I forgive you for the things that you did to me. I think right now it's best to have some space. And I don't mean that in a negative way. The past is sad and triggering for both of us. I think we ended our talk last night. Well, we can be civil from a distance, respect each other, and move forward with our own lives.

[Heath]

Well, despondent at this, Gareth sent back, quote, so you're still just gone. Which is exactly my nightmare. Yes, my guy, she is gone. Well, he described how hurt and embarrassed he was by her and how painful the last nine years apart had been for him. That's insane. I mean, think about this. Nine years has passed and he has still not let this go.

[Daphne]

And he's still blaming her. She's being so nice, so respectful. She doesn't have to be replying to you at all. And you're still pointing the finger at her saying how much you hurt me, even though, remember how she put a restraining order on you because you abused her physically?

[Heath]

And I mean, he just kept going. In a series of four text messages he sent her, quote, I don't know how busy you are, and it truly scares me so much more than I can possibly convey to say this. Please don't just vanish on me. Please, please don't just vanish on me. After three texts with, of course no response, he texted her, please call me now. During their conversation, Amy texted her friend Hernando. Gareth found my number online and messaged me. I told him I didn't want to talk and wished him the best. His response was still obsessive and scary. She also described him as increasingly unstable. Gareth then resorted to leaving her weeping voicemails begging for her to meet up with him. After that harrowing night at the awards show, Amy wrote to herself, tonight I felt very scared. Gareth came up behind me and started screaming. I'm pretty nervous that I'm more on his radar now. It terrifies me that he's been obsessed with me for nine years, thinks about me every day. He's focused on harming me. But despite his downward trajectory, Gareth still found time to attempt a career in stand up comedy. Just days before his confrontation with Amy at the awards ceremony, he appeared on the podcast and livestreamed stand up comedy show Kill Tony, hosted by comedian Tony Hinchcliffe. And Gareth performed about a minute of stand up comedy in front of a live audience at The Comedy Store in West Hollywood, which was not well received by the host or the audience.

[Daphne]

Good reason.

[Heath]

And we have a clip to play for you guys of this YouTube video because. Holy shit.

[Daphne]

And you're gonna hear two voices. One of them is Tony, the other is Gareth. But you'll be able to know who is who. So here we go.

[Heath]

He is.

[Daphne]

One more time for Gareth, everybody.

[Heath]

Come on.

[Gareth]

Hello, everybody. All right, let me spin around this. There we go. Well, thank you very much. It's great to be here in all the best parts of entertainment. We've got most of a band, got morning radio, sound effects, sometimes a full band. When a toy kazoo comes from the ground, raises from the grave, takes over Tony and starts singing. It's wonderful. It's a wonderful time. I think he froze. So back to popular. So over the summer, Trump took all. Yanked all the troops out of Syria, right? And then ISIS got loose. They're knocking on doors, running away or something like that. I don't really know how it works. And I thought he should have asked Tony that it was a bad idea because he has broke the bank relying on the pull out method. Quickest coming comedian comedy. Anyway, so I have bad news for the people, for the entertainers over there. I have bad news for the entertainers over there. The best day of your career is going to be the days after you die when paintings skyrocket in price. Can I continue?

[Heath]

Can I?

[Gareth]

It's close. The painting skyrocket and Price Redbox starts holding some movie from 1962. But what about the porn talent? What happens with them? Is it just Red band at home singing?

[Heath]

She was so underappreciated in her time. All right, all right. There you go, Gareth, you did it. Doing the age old broken method of trying to roast the people that the audience is here to see. That's good. How do you feel, Gareth?

[Gareth]

Shaky.

[Heath]

Shaky, Shaky. Is this your first time on a stage?

[Gareth]

On a real stage?

[Heath]

Yeah, yeah, yeah. What other kind of stage have you been?

[Gareth]

Like when there's like five comedians that.

[Heath]

Oh, I wish it was stage four. Gareth, Gareth, Gareth, Gareth. I mean, you can just tell that Tony is like annoyed. He's like, okay, man, just give up. And. And Gareth just seems not confident. Like he. He's stumbling over his words. He doesn't really even know what he's saying. And then you hear the booze after his. His joke, quote, unquote, joke from the audience. And then like the band is playing and it just sounds. It just sounds like so brutal.

[Daphne]

It's so Bad. And he keeps looking back at the table that Tony is sitting at with two other guys and just like trying to get like some sort of approval. Yeah. And the last joke, like the very end, he was like, jerk. He was like doing like a, like.

[Heath]

A jerk off motion.

[Daphne]

Yeah, he was like, he was like kneeling and like pretending to jerk off while he was saying that. It's just like he's so gross, making gross, weird jokes. Like, I don't know, bad.

[Heath]

This is not going to be the last dumb joke we're going to hear from Gareth today.

[Daphne]

Unfortunately not.

[Heath]

Ironically, in late January, just after Amy's run in with Gareth, Amy was also a guest on a podcast appearing on Daty Ladies. We don't have a clip from this that we can play for you guys, but basically Amy spoke to the listeners about the painful but mercurial nature of breakups, saying you have to remind yourself when you're suffering from a breakup. This feels like the end of the world. It's temporary. It will not last forever.

[Daphne]

And I really want to include a clip of Amy talking since we just played the clip of Gareth. So here is Amy on Good Morning America one year before her murder.

[Amy]

How are you?

[Daphne]

I'm good.

[Amy]

Thanks for having me today.

[Daphne]

So take us to understand what does.

[Amy]

It mean to be a sex therapist? So that's an interesting concept and question just because a lot of people don't know what it means. So I'm a licensed marriage and family therapist and after that I went to school and got an additional degree in sexuality. Most people don't know that in a program for therapists, master's program, or even a PhD or PsyD program, there's usually like one unit of sexuality education and all the other classes are three units. So it's a third of anything else you're getting educated on. And in the class I took pretty much they were like, write a paper on whatever you want about sexuality. And then the teacher wrote, the professor wrote, you should really teach this class. And I'm like, I will. So I'm actually in talks to do exactly that soon.

[Daphne]

So interesting.

[Amy]

So it's so minor, like the amount of education. So if you go to a therapist and they haven't seen sought out additional education or experience in that topic, they really don't know much about sex.

[Daphne]

So if so in 2020, Amy was living in what is described on Zillow as a three bedroom, two bathroom, quote, classic 1927 mini manor in Hollywood Dell, which is a neighborhood in the Hollywood Hills. But she didn't Live alone. She actually lived with a friend named Michael Herman. Now on February 14, 2020. So Valentine's Day, about three weeks after her altercation with Gareth, Amy had plans to see a burlesque show with some girlfriends heading out around 7pm about two hours later, her next door neighbor's ring camera spotted a tall man in gloves slinking across their patio. He could be seen covering the camera with his hand and jumping their fence. He then broke through the glass French doors on the ground floor of Amy Harwick's house. Her roommate Michael was home when this happened. He was laying down and dozing off in his first story bedroom, and he recalled hearing the glass break, but assumed that it was Amy's cat named Marquis de Shaw, maybe knocking something over in the kitchen or something like that. So he went back to sleep. But a few hours later, Michael awoke to a thud and the sounds of Amy's screams. He called out to her and then heard what he thought was Amy choking. So he scrambled for his phone to call for help, but he was unable to find it in the chaos and the panic of it all. So instead, Michael fled the house to get help as fast as he could. Now, their fence was actually locked, so when he reached it, obviously he was not about to turn around and go find the keys. You know, that was out of the question. So he scaled the fence, cutting his abdomen in the process. Michael knocked on the front door of a neighbor's home, but they didn't answer. So he was then able to flag someone down on the street and called 911 from their phone. Around 1am on the morning of February 15, 2020, Michael spoke with the police, telling them frantically, somebody just attacked my roommate. Please get a cop here. When the police arrived on the scene, he explained that he believed that his friend and roommate was attacked and that he thought that he heard her being thrown to the ground upstairs, which is where her bedroom was located. And then as police walked Michael around to the back of the house, he spotted Amy's motionless body on the ground and cried out her name.

[Heath]

Now, obviously unsure if Michael himself was to blame or what the hell had happened in the house that night, officers held him back from Amy, noting that he had blood on his shirt and claimed that he lived in the home but that he hadn't brought his keys with him. And obviously, you know, this looked pretty bad at first, but we now know that he had fled from the house looking for help, hence why he didn't have his keys and that the blood on his shirt was his own after sustaining an injury from scaling the fence. Now, Michael told officers that he was sure that her fall was the result of a struggle after an intruder had broken in. And this wasn't some kind of accident. When police and paramedics found her, 38 year old Amy Harwick was rushed to the hospital. And she was still alive, but with a faint heartbeat and a ragged breath pattern. But sadly, she just could not pull through after her arrival at the hospital and doctors could not save her life. So she passed away about two hours after arriving there. Now, EMTs acknowledged that she had suffered injuries consistent with the fall, but that she had also incurred injuries prior to the fall as a result of a struggle Back at her house, investigators canvassed the area for any signs that would lead them to their perpetrator. In addition to questioning Michael, police considered the possibility that her fall had been an accident. Well, strangely, on her balcony there was a loaded syringe, though they didn't immediately know what it was filled with. So officers began to wonder if perhaps she had been using drugs and fell to her death. But there were clear, clear indications that a struggle had taken place before her death. For example, Amy's bedroom had been immaculate except for her disturbed unmade bed and her purse coat and a snapped necklace dropped on her floor. Then, as day broke, investigators came upon something that they had missed in their initial walkthrough of the home. The bottom panel of one of the French doors had been broken in and blood splatters lay among the glasses. So this had been the sound of breaking glass that Michael had heard around 9pm the night prior. Somebody was breaking in and hiding in wait for Amy to get home, which she did at 1am after that burlesque show at the Globe theater in downtown la, which we do have a photo of Amy and her friends at this burlesque show. And then they headed out for some tea at the Nomad hotel nearby instead of attending the after party.

[Daphne]

Which means he was waiting in her house for four hours.

[Heath]

That is seriously so eerie and terrifying.

[Daphne]

Well, during his questioning, Michael, her roommate, shared with investigators that Amy had been concerned about the glass doors in their home in general and that she had recently spoken to a handyman about having them replaced, especially with such a classic old house. You know, like Heath and I thought about this consistently in our most recent house, which was also an old classic 1920s LA home with single pane glass windows all over the place. And we were always so freaked out.

[Heath]

Yeah, I mean those things break so easily. Like they're like almost Paper thin. They just can break, you know, with nothing.

[Daphne]

Yeah, like a regular new modern window. If like a bird flew into it, the bird would die in a house like Amy's and like our old one.

[Heath]

Just be flying straight through the motherfucking window.

[Daphne]

Exactly. So she really wanted someone to replace these. And then she also had just been like talking to somebody about reinforcing the locks of their home. So clearly, as we know, she was very much afraid of her safety. She knew in the past that her ex Gareth almost said girth. Gareth Girth, we just call him Girth Girth. So she knew that Gareth had come to her house in the past. She was probably afraid that was going to happen again. And now this occurs.

[Heath]

I just find it so strange that in those nine years that they were split up, obviously we know that there was a restraining order, but he didn't really try anything during those years. So it's like, it's almost like she was, she was in the clear. She almost got rid of this guy out of her life for nine years and then he just comes back like freaking cancer.

[Daphne]

Yeah, it's like, it's like seeing him triggered something in him. She's. I mean, to be honest, of course, she was an amazing, absolutely gorgeous woman. So seeing her again probably just brought back all those old feelings.

[Heath]

But I guess I'm just wondering, what was Gareth doing for nine years?

[Daphne]

Who the hell. Just horrible comedy.

[Heath]

Horrible comedy. Yeah.

[Daphne]

So Michael revealed to other officers that Amy had an ex boyfriend that she had a restraining order against. Because Gareth was definitely on his mind, of course, especially with the harassment that Amy had been receiving as of recent. Michael was also able to connect them with Amy's close friend Robert, the one who had her tracker. And he said that he knew immediately who had done it and pointed police to 41 year old Gareth Pursehouse. So at this point, Gareth was reportedly living in Playa Del Rey, which is a seaside LA neighborhood basically between Venice and Inglewood. Inglewood is where LAX is. So almost 20 miles, or 32 kilometers from Amy's Hollywood Hills house. And when investigators in Pennsylvania broke the news to Amy's parents, they suspected the very same culprit that Robert did. Gareth Purse House. But later on that Same day that 38 year old Amy Harwick was murdered again, February 15, 2020, Gareth was already moving on to another woman, or so it seemed. I think this was a total ruse because that morning he texted a woman he had met on Tinder, someone he had been out with a few times, saying, morning sunshine. She said that she was heading out for a bike ride, and then the two wound up meeting at Gareth's Playa del Rey home afterward. She later testified in Gareth's murder trial and described his mood that day as sad and distant. She also noted that, alarmingly, he had a black eye that day and she questioned him about it. Oddly, Gareth explained that he was doing some work on his own French doors and that he had injured himself in the remodel. I mean, I always get black eyes when I fix my doors.

[Heath]

Yeah, especially, you know, it was definitely French doors as well.

[Daphne]

Yeah, Very, very weird that he said that too.

[Heath]

Yeah.

[Daphne]

So the woman said that they had not been particularly physical or flirty that day and that she helped him with some organizational projects around the house. After hanging out at his house for about two hours, he offered to drive her home so that she could prepare for her evening plans. But on their drive home, his car was swarmed by police cars, thank God. Looking to Gareth, terrified, he instructed her, just do what they say. He then exited the vehicle and laid face down on the ground as officers surrounded him. Only about 12 hours after Amy's murder, Gareth Pursehouse was arrested for the crime. At first, of course, Gareth feigned ignorance, telling them that he had been home since the evening prior. Detectives asked him about his black eye, which he again lied about being the result of home renovation mishap.

[Heath]

Yeah, the door punched me in the face.

[Daphne]

Yeah, exactly. But the most telling detail was the discovery of the small blood spatters beneath the shattered glass panel of the French door in her home. Because when tested, they were confirmed to match Gareth's DNA. And underneath Amy's fingernails, once again, Gareth's DNA.

[Heath]

Deputy District Attorney Catherine Mariano believed that Gareth wanted to make a statement. Statement by murdering Amy on Valentine's Day, saying, I think Gareth decided to do this on Valentine's Day on purpose. I think Gareth decided to kill Amy Harwick on a day that symbolized love and couples. And I think it was poetic justice in his opinion. When police questioned 41 year old Gareth, they also photographed what they believed were defensive wounds as he sustained a bite mark on his bicep and scratches on his forearms, neck and chest in addition to the black eye, meaning that Amy fought back hard. Detectives came to the conclusion that the syringe, which was confirmed to contain liquid nicotine, was Gareth's initial plan. He was kind of hoping that maybe this would look like she had taken a lethal dose by accident, injecting her without any altercation. But when she fought back with her life, she rightfully screwed Gareth's plan and he resorted to beating her and sending her over the edge of her three story balcony. The lead detective, Scott Masterson, explained Gareth's overall plan would have been to inject her and have Amy pass away and nobody would have been the wiser. Well, shockingly, Gareth was released on a $2 million bail within just days of his arrest. He later told friends that the bond depleted his own savings and everything his brother was able to contribute.

[Daphne]

Maybe don't murder them like, oh, poor you.

[Heath]

What? Shut up, guy. But it was clear that Gareth was a flight risk, so he was detained again just four days later. And then he was held on a no bail warrant. While scouring the house, compiling more evidence, Scott Masterson noted that Amy's bed was in disarray. Scott remarked, quote, everything was neat, clean, tidy and put away. I think Gareth Pursehouse climbed in her bed, describing this detail as very creepy. Uh, yeah, yeah, we agree.

[Daphne]

Again, for four hours he was just laying around in her room.

[Heath]

I mean, it's just beyond disturbing. Well, for this, he was charged with both murder and lying in wait.

[Daphne]

To no one's surprise, this coward pleaded not guilty in her murder. But some of the most damning evidence came out while he was awaiting trial. Now, two friends visited him in prison. And though Gareth refused to speak candidly about the details of the crime, he hatched a few ill advised plans for his future in prison.

[Heath]

Such a dumbass. Listen to this, guys.

[Daphne]

Yeah, so they kept the mood kind of light. Here they were cracking jokes and laughing for whatever reason. But when his friends asked how he was doing, he casually said, shitty. Speaking frankly, he told them, yeah, so shit's not great. I'm not getting out of here. He then joked, I guess I'm officially a bad guy now.

[Heath]

No, you're an idiot.

[Daphne]

You've always been the bad guy as well. So after asking his friends to help his brother move his things out of his apartment, he instructed them to cash in on his arrest, saying, quote, obviously my name is like a big thing right now, so if you could sell stuff of mine to like weird collectors, you should be able to get more money for it. Like, hate this guy.

[Heath]

I hate this guy. He just wants to be famous so bad.

[Daphne]

He also instructed his friends, quote, I also told he probably won't do it. I told him to get all the 6,000 jokes I've written from my Google Docs. I told him to get them and turn them into a book and then sell it online as my jokes. He added, quote, right now, actually Try to find a publisher that'll give you money ahead of time for that. Like right now. You know what I mean? Just based on my name, because of the media, like that could be a million bucks. I don't know. I don't know how that shit works.

[Heath]

He's completely insane.

[Daphne]

I mean, this is crazy. He's. He's trying to sell his jokes to make money on a book because he thinks he's famous now because he's being accused of murdering his ex girlfriend.

[Heath]

And from prison.

[Daphne]

He also gave them a few new jokes that he made up in prison. Bemoaning the fact that he didn't have access to a pencil or a pen so he couldn't write them down. He. This is one of his jokes that he made up. I mean, I'm pretty sure I've heard this joke before. What's the most feminine candy bar? Hershey's.

[Heath]

That is such a dumb dad joke.

[Daphne]

Like, it's so bad.

[Heath]

It's something your 56 year old new Balance wearing dad would say to you while he's mowing the lawn. I have a really good joke for Gareth.

[Daphne]

Go.

[Heath]

You're in fucking prison, bro. That's my joke.

[Daphne]

That's way funnier.

[Heath]

It's hilarious.

[Daphne]

So he also made a point of asking them to conceal the sex toys that he left behind at his house.

[Heath]

Well, as news of Amy's death spread, Drew Carey issued a statement that said, quote, 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 Amy privacy while we try to work through this tragic situation. And the really sad thing here is that Amy had actually reached out to Drew just two days before her death, and she asked if they could get together and talk. He claims that he told her that he loved her and that the pair made plans to catch up soon. Now, when Gareth's trial began In August of 2023, his defense team surprisingly didn't try to dispute the fact that he had broken in and that that was directly what led to Amy's untimely death. However, Gareth, through his defense attorney, Robin Bernstein Lev, actually blamed Amy, claiming that he had just wanted to talk to her and that afterward he was actually planning on killing himself with the liquid nicotine. He explained that she had become frightened and fought back, which he wasn't expecting, and described her as the aggressor.

[Daphne]

You break into her house, hide Inside her bedroom, in her bed, just to talk. And you murder her and you still blame her?

[Heath]

Dude, it's just, I. I just can't. Sometimes with these defense attorneys, just the bullshit that they come up with is truly moronic.

[Daphne]

It's so sad, honestly.

[Heath]

Well, Robin explained, quote, we don't know who initiated the physical confrontation. Yes, you do. And it's just as likely, if not likelier, she preemptively attacked Gareth Purse house in order to subdue him because she was afraid of him. No shit.

[Daphne]

Wild take.

[Heath]

No shit. She's afraid of this guy. Obviously, she's going to fight back. This rando. Not rando, but this weirdo is laying in wait in her room, in her bed. She's gonna fight back.

[Daphne]

I can't imagine how frustrated her family and her friends were hearing that bullshit.

[Heath]

Oh, yeah, they must have just been super pissed at this. Well, after their scuffle, he says that he left in a panic and can be seen jumping back over the neighbor's fence and fleeing through their yard.

[Daphne]

But when it was time to call their expert defenses to testify that she had fallen or jumped and not actually been discarded over the balcony after their confrontation, the defense opted not to call any witnesses, despite having promised to do so in their opening statements.

[Heath]

Because they didn't have any.

[Daphne]

Yeah, exactly. And his attorney, Robyn, did make a ploy for the sympathy vote, describing their breakup as excruciating for Gareth. His father had also passed away the previous July, and Robin claimed that he was suffering severe emotional distress from the combination of these traumatic events. You and Amy broke up so long ago. Like he acts like this just happened.

[Heath]

Yeah, it's like I was in a really bad way because she just broke up with me, bro. It was nine years ago, and the.

[Daphne]

Death of his father was eight months earlier. So you're saying nine years ago he was in a breakup, and eight months earlier his dad died? So that justifies him murdering her?

[Heath]

It's just so clear that they were grasping at straws here, truly.

[Daphne]

So I feel like this is actually a perfect time to really quickly talk about Gareth's dad, because he was also reportedly a stalker. By the way, there is a court case between him and a woman named Deborah, his ex fiance from August of 2010. And here is the quick rundown. One year earlier, in August of 2009, actually, around the time of Amy and Gareth's meeting, you know, when they met for the first time at that party, Deborah had filed an application for a restraining order against Gareth's father, Paul. Paul. To stop his harassment against her, she said in her application. For the past eight weeks, Paul has been harassing me by phone, by email, in person, and through my friends. I live in a gated senior community, and he's been showing up to about 3 of my community events per week for the past few weeks in an attempt to see me and talk to me. I have told him repeatedly that we are over. And then I want nothing to do with him, yet he refuses to leave me alone. And his harassment and obsession with me seems to be escalating. And this ended up going to court because he appealed this restraining order.

[Heath]

I mean, it's not like it's super relevant to Amy's story, but we did want to mention it to you guys because maybe that's kind of where Gareth is getting some of his personality. This obsession personality.

[Daphne]

Exactly. It's too weird not to mention. And just so everybody knows, the court concluded that his appeal was without merit, and they granted the restraining order. And then, of course, as we know, about 10 years later, he passed away. And then just months after the restraining order was granted is when Amy and Gareth reportedly stopped seeing each other. And that that breakup happened after two years of them seeing each other. But anyway, back to Gareth's trial on Amy Harwick's murder. This was in 2023, so three years after her murder. During the trial, Robin said that due to his father's death and the breakup with Amy from years earlier, Gareth was consumed by emotions and in a crisis, her death was never his goal. Gareth sat looking mostly unaffected throughout the trial, even occasionally cracking a smile. But in the end, he was found guilty of amy's murder on September 27, 2023. On December 6, 2023, he was sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole at the age of 45. Dr. Amy Harwick was buried in Ambler, Pennsylvania, with many attending to show their love and support for Amy for an inspiring and beautiful life taken far too soon by a monster. Thank you so much, everybody, for listening to this episode of Going West.

[Heath]

Yes, thank you guys so much for listening to this episode. Please make sure that you go and share this story that you go check out the photos that are associated with this case. We have socials. Go to our socials. Go. Follow us. We're on Instagram oingwestpodcast. We're also on Facebook.

[Daphne]

Yeah. And if you guys want to see a video of Amy, we'll post that. Of course, photos of her, photos of Gareth. I am going to post that clip of the. From the comedy podcast just. Just from him at the Comedy Store.

[Heath]

Oh, yeah, definitely.

[Daphne]

So that you guys can see his movements and him while he's saying these terrible jokes. If you guys want to hate him.

[Heath]

Even more than you already do, if that's even possible.

[Daphne]

Yeah.

[Heath]

Well, we love you guys so much. And we will have an all new episode of Going west for you guys on Tuesday.

[Daphne]

Oh, yeah.

[Heath]

So for everybody out there in the.

[Daphne]

World, don't be a stranger.

[Heath]

Sa.