Six months after the untimely death of Matthew Perry, a criminal investigation has been initiated.
Matthew Perry, best known for his role in the hit sitcom Friends, passed away on October 28, 2023. He was discovered deceased in the hot tub at his Los Angeles home. An autopsy determined his death was an “accident” resulting from the “acute effects of ketamine.”
Additionally, the Los Angeles Medical Examiner’s office cited “drowning, coronary artery disease, and the effects of buprenorphine” as contributing factors. Perry had been undergoing ketamine infusion therapy for depression at the time of his death, a treatment he had discussed in his memoir, Friends, Lovers, and the Big Terrible Thing.
The Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD) and the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) have now announced a joint criminal investigation into the circumstances surrounding Perry’s death.
The LAPD and DEA are investigating how Perry had a significant amount of drugs in his system, noting that the ketamine identified by the medical examiner did not come from his last-known infusion, which occurred a week and a half before his death, according to The Guardian.
The infusion’s contents would have only remained in his system for three to four hours, as concluded by The Hollywood Reporter. The LAPD and DEA are determined to uncover the source of the ketamine and how Perry acquired it.
In a statement released on Tuesday (May 21), the LAPD confirmed that it is collaborating with both the DEA and the US Postal Inspection Service on the investigation into Perry’s death. No arrests have been made in connection with the probe, which was initially reported by TMZ.
Perry was candid about his struggles with addiction and had become an advocate against the dangers of alcohol and drugs. He had battled substance abuse issues since the age of 14. However, his autopsy revealed that he had been sober for 19 months at the time of his death, with no recent relapses, and investigators found no alcohol, illicit drugs, or drug paraphernalia at the scene.
The ketamine in Perry’s system was believed to have overstimulated his heart and depressed his breathing, causing him to “lapse into unconsciousness” before he slipped underwater in his hot tub.
Perry’s autopsy could not specify the “exact method of intake” for the ketamine and noted the absence of new needle marks on his body, indicating he had not injected the drug.
