LOS ANGELES — The convicted murderer of Pineapple Support therapist Amie Harwick was sentenced on Wednesday to life in prison without the possibility of parole.
In September, a jury found Harwick’s stalker ex-boyfriend guilty of first-degree murder with the special circumstance of lying in wait, as well as first-degree burglary.
Gareth Pursehouse was arrested shortly after the February 2020 murder of Harwick, who at the time was helping several adult performers in her capacity as a therapist for mental health nonprofit Pineapple Support.
As XBIZ reported at the time, Harwick died as the result of a fall from the third-story balcony of her Hollywood Hills residence. She had previously obtained a restraining order against Pursehouse. Investigators later learned that she had expressed fear about him in the days before her death, after a chance encounter in January.
Pursehouse was arrested on suspicion of murder in connection to her death, released on $2 million bail and then re-arrested by the LAPD on a no-bail warrant. His trial was delayed for 3 ½ years before finally starting on Aug. 29 of this year and concluding with the September verdict.
Harwick was a Playboy model prior to becoming a licensed therapist specializing in relationships and sex therapy. An accomplished author, her 2014 book “The New Sex Bible for Women” garnered widespread acclaim and solidified her as a go-to media source for sexual health and wellness advice and information.
She was an advocate for sex workers and collaborated with Pineapple Support to offer free and low-cost therapy options to active adult performers. Before her death, she was scheduled to host an eight-week support group for performers, focusing on examining triggers and trauma to gain insight into behaviors and facilitate greater well-being.
