Amie Harwick's Alleged Killer Officially Charged With Murder

The alleged killer of Dr. Amie Harwick has been re-arrested and officially charged with murder. The news was announced on Wednesday by the Los Angeles County District Attorney. As reported by The Wrap, Gareth Pursehouse now faces one count of murder and one count of first-degree residential burglary. There's also a special circumstance allegation Pursehouse is facing for lying in wait due to the fact that he allegedly killed Harwick by throwing her over a third-floor balcony.

If convicted, Pursehouse could face either the death penalty or life in prison without the possibility of parole. The DA's office said a decision about them seeking capital punishment will be made later. His arraignment is scheduled for Thursday.

Harwick was discovered on Saturday morning after police responded to a domestic disturbance call. Her roommate met police, who said that she was being assaulted inside her own home. She was later found under a third-story balcony with injuries consistent with a fall from that height. After being taken to a hospital, she later died. On Tuesday, her cause of death was ruled as blunt force injuries of the head and torso.

Harwick has a long history with Pursehouse. While the couple were in a relationship for a time, in 2011 Harwick accused Pursehouse of pushing her out of a car during an argument, leaving her on the side of a freeway. A few weeks prior, Harwick had also claimed that he had "choked me, suffocated me, pushed me against walls, kicked me, dropped me to the ground with force, slammed my head into the ground and punched me with a closed fist," per documents that TMZ had obtained.

Jasmin St. Claire, a close friend of Harwick's, told Page Six that she was aware that Pursehouse was abusive, and had stalked her while she was attending the XBiz adult industry awards earlier this year.

"Gareth knew Amie was going to be at XBiz. He stalked her there and went bats- crazy," she said. "He was at the awards working as a photographer, but his behavior was abusive and threatening. He was yelling and screaming. Amie told me after the incident that she was scared he would show up at her home. She went to the police, but they did not take it seriously. He was really obsessive over her; controlling."

Harwick had previously had a restraining order on Pursehouse, which had expired not long before her body was found.