A coroner's spokesperson says that the primary cause of death was blunt force injuries to the therapist's head and torso from the fall off the balcony, and adds that 'manual strangulation' was a secondary cause.
- Feb 21, 2020
AceShowbiz - Drew Carey's ex Amie Harwick was likely strangled before murder, coroner said. Coroner's spokeswoman Sarah Ardalani said in an email on Thursday, February 20 that the prominent family and marriage's autopsy showed evidence of "manual strangulation."
The autopsy, which results were released on Tuesday, determined that the primary cause of death was blunt force injuries to Amie's head and torso from the fall off the third-floor balcony. The coroner's spokeswoman added that "manual strangulation" was a secondary cause, noting that the fatal fall from the balcony occurred after an "altercation."
Police previously found evidence of a struggle and a forced entry to the home. Amie's ex-boyfriend Garth Pursehouse, who was previously named in two restraining orders against the late therapist, was arrested outside his home and booked on murder charges on Saturday afternoon, February 15, hours after she was found murdered at her Hollywood Hills residence.
Garth was released on a $2 million bond three days later, but was arrested again on Wednesday on a no bail warrant. He will face arraignment on Thursday.
Amie dated "The Price Is Right" host Carey in 2017, and they became engaged in 2018, but they called it off less than a year later. The 61-year-old actor/comedian posted a tribute to Amie on Twitter after her death, writing, "I hope you're lucky enough to have someone in your life that loves as much as she did."
Carey also shared a link to a Change.org petition that has been launched in the wake of Amie's death, calling for an update to domestic violence laws. "Please sign this petition and chip in if you can," he wrote with the hashtag #JusticeForAmie. "Thank you and bless you."
The petition, which was created by a self-described friend of Amie's, Diana Arias, stated that the 38-year-old died as "a result of poor laws not protecting the victims and treating the offenders." It added, "People shouldn't have to die to make changes. If Amie's murder can save countless other lives like she was doing when she was alive then it makes this pain of her death not in vain." More than 59,000 people have signed the petition.
