Police investigating who gave Matthew Perry ketamine that ...
Actor died last October from the acute effects of anesthetic drug
Published May 21, 2024 • Last updated 5 hours ago • 2 minute read
Police and federal agents have opened a probe looking into how Matthew Perry acquired the ketamine that played a part in his death nearly seven months ago.
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In January, the Los Angeles Police Department confirmed to PEOPLE that authorities’ investigation into the five-time Emmy nominee’s passing had concluded. But TMZ reported early Tuesday that “there is an ongoing investigation into where Matthew got the ketamine that ended up playing a part in his death.”
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According to the outlet, “the main questions are who provided the drug, and under what circumstances.”
Sources told TMZ that the investigation has been ongoing for several months and that so far authorities have spoken with “people who are known to have a history of drug use or abuse” who may be able to help them identify who provided the drug to the late Friends star.
An investigative source with the LAPD confirmed to PEOPLE that it is working with the DEA and the U.S. Postal Inspector to uncover how Perry procured the ketamine that contributed to his death.
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Last year, the dealer who sold The Wire actor Michael K. Williams the fentanyl-laced heroin that caused his death was sentenced to 10 years in prison.
Similarly, when actor Philip Seymour Hoffman died a decade ago of a fatal drug overdose, multiple people were arrested and taken into custody.
So far, no arrests have been made in connection with Perry’s death.
An autopsy report released last December revealed Perry died from the acute effects of the anesthetic ketamine on Oct. 28, 2023, at the age of 54.
The Los Angeles County Department of Medical Examiner deemed his death an accident and listed “drowning, coronary artery disease and buprenorphine effects” as secondary factors.
Perry, who had struggled with drug and alcohol addiction for much of his life, was reportedly “receiving ketamine infusion therapy for depression and anxiety,” according to USA Today.
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Additional details, obtained by Page Six, revealed that a female friend said Perry was “angry and mean” in the weeks leading up to his death because he had been taking shots of testosterone.
But another person close to Perry quoted in a police incident report said the actor had been “in good spirits” recently.
This echoed a sentiment expressed by model and journalist Athenna Crosby, who was photographed with Perry on a lunch date at the Hotel Bel-Air just before he died.
“I want to emphasize that Matthew was in extremely good spirits and talked to me enthusiastically about the things he had coming up in his life,” Crosby wrote in an Instagram post. “He was so happy and vibrant.”
In their summary, the medical examiner said the levels of ketamine in Perry’s body were in the range used for general anesthesia during surgery, and that his last treatment less than two weeks prior to his death would have dissipated within hours.
“It is more likely this was recreational ketamine use,” Dr. Bankole Johnson told Page Six.
“It would be questionable medicine to provide ketamine to someone also using buprenorphine — a true recipe for disaster.”
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