Matthew Perry’s death now focus of massive LAPD investigation to find source of ketamine
Perry was found unresponsive in the hot tub of his Los Angeles home last October
Your support helps us to tell the story
From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.
At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.
The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.
Your support makes all the difference.An investigation has been opened into the death of Matthew Perry and how the Friends actor received the anesthetic ketamine, which was ruled a contributing factor in his death.
Los Angeles Police Capt. Scot Williams told the Los Angeles Times on Tuesday that the police department was assisting the Drug Enforcement Agency with a probe into why the 54-year-old star had so much ketamine in his system when he died in October. The investigation was first reported by TMZ.
In a statement to The Independent, the Drug Enforcement Administration said: “DEA does not confirm or comment on ongoing investigations.”
Perry was found unresponsive in the hot tub of his Los Angeles home. His autopsy, released in December, found that the amount of ketamine in Perry’s blood was in the range used for general anesthesia during surgery. The drug is sometimes used to treat depression.
The Los Angeles County Department of Medical Examiner said in the autopsy report that Perry also drowned in “the heated end of his pool,” but that it was a secondary factor in his death, deemed an accident.
According to Perry's autopsy, people close to the actor told investigators that he was undergoing ketamine infusion therapy, an experimental treatment used to treat depression and anxiety.
But the medical examiner said that his last treatment 1 1/2 weeks earlier wouldn't explain the levels of ketamine in Perry’s blood. The drug is typically metabolised in a matter of hours.
Perry was among the biggest television stars of his generation when he played Chandler Bing alongside Jennifer Aniston, Courteney Cox, Lisa Kudrow, Matt LeBlanc and David Schwimmer for 10 seasons from 1994 to 2004 on NBC’s megahit sitcom Friends.