Kriti Mehrotra
When family therapist Amie Nicole Harwick was killed in one of the most atrocious ways imaginable following Valentine’s Day 2020, it honestly left the entire nation shaken to its very core. After all, as chronicled in CBS’ ’48 Hours: Justice for Amie Harwick,’ her assailant was none other than the man she’d been afraid of for years — her ex-boyfriend turned stalker Gareth Pursehouse. This fear of hers was thus not unfounded, especially as she’d also managed to get two restraining orders against him before 2015 and had recently again told her parents about his issues/obsession.
Who Are Amie Harwick’s Parents?
Although Amie was born on May 20, 1981, in Sellersville, Pennsylvania, she was actually raised by her loving adoptive parents Penny and Tom in Lansdale, alongside a brother named Chris. It hence comes as no surprise she was the light of their lives, which didn’t change even when she relocated to California upon graduating high school to ultimately dip her toes in various professions. “I’m so proud of her and what she accomplished,” her father candidly said in the episode, only for her mother to add, “Oh my goodness. Fire eater, dancer, photographer, model, bartender, therapist.
Penny also revealed Amie’s sole mission in life was to fix people by the time she was in her mid-30s, which is why she even tried to help Gareth following years of his stalking on January 16, 2020. The former couple had come face to face by chance at an awards show, just for him to call her a b***h and tell her she’d ruined his life before she went into “therapist mode” despite being terrified. Less than a month later, she was strangled as well as dropped from her balcony, leaving her parents utterly heartbroken all the way in Pennsylvania — their sole solace was the fact Gareth had been arrested the same day.
Where Are Amie Harwick’s Parents Now?
Considering everything, Penny and Tom obviously attended the entirety of their daughter’s then-alleged perpetrator’s trial in the fall of 2023, so it was only after he was convicted that they breathed a sigh of genuine relief. They did deem every aspect of his defense “bulls**t, to put it bluntly,” yet were glad when they were finally legally avenged in more ways than one — Gareth received life in prison without the possibility of parole, along with orders to pay fines/restitution to cover the cost of Amie’s funeral as well as of her parents’ travel, lodging, plus food during the court proceedings. Moreover, he was slapped with a charge for the first-degree burglary of his former love’s home.
However, it’s imperative to note that before this verdict was formally announced, Penny and Tom both gave emotional victim impact statements in Gareth’s presence in the Los Angeles court. The latter said, “I am the forever grieving father of my dearly departed daughter Amie. I will be reading the following words from a paper out of fear I will forget, but you may be assured that these words are being recited from deep within my heart,” before thanking everyone who helped secure justice for his little girl. As for the former, she simply spoke of how it has been for them as a family since the 38-year-old was killed.
“I don’t think the grieving ever ends; it evolves,” Penny conceded in the CBS episode too. Yet, she then added, “We’ve been wanting to tell Amie’s story and just felt like we weren’t ready before, but now we feel like we can do it.” In other words, it appears as if she and Tom are done keeping themselves plus their daughter well away from the limelight so as to keep her legacy alive. These Lansdale, Pennsylvania, natives are thus now seemingly dedicated to raising awareness about domestic abuse, stalking, as well as mental health issues through Amie’s story in an attempt to help others while ensuring she didn’t lose her life in vain.
Read More: Where is Amie Harwick’s Roommate Michael Herman Now?
