“A lot of people” can be held responsible for the death of the series’ protagonist “Friends” Matthew Perry from the acute effects of ketamine last year, according to a US law enforcement source.
People reports that the source stated that the investigation into Matthew’s death is “nearly complete” and that authorities believe “several people” should be charged.
He also said the U.S. Attorney’s Office will make the final decision on whether to prosecute.
A spokesperson for the US Attorney’s Office told The Independent it had “no comment” on the matter.
Nearly seven months after Matthew Perry’s death in October 2023 at age 54, an investigation was launched at the federal and local level into who supplied the actor with the ketamine that led to his death.
The Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD), the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) and the U.S. Postal Inspection Service (USPIS) are involved in the investigation into how Perry came to have such a large quantity of ketamine in his possession, confirmed the LAPD on Tuesday.
The DEA previously told The Independent that it “does not confirm or comment on ongoing investigations”.
On October 28, 2023, paramedics found Perry unconscious in the hot tub of his home in Pacific Palisades, Los Angeles, California. He was pronounced dead a short time later.
A toxicology report confirmed that he died due to the “acute effects of ketamine,” which caused the actor to drown in the warm water. Sources close to the actor said he was being treated with a ketamine infusion to treat depression and anxiety.
Autopsy results, released in December, found that the amount of ketamine in his blood was as high as that used for general anesthesia during surgery. It was listed as the main cause of death, which was ruled an accident with no suspicion of criminal wrongdoing, the report said.
Drowning, coronary heart disease and the effects of buprenorphine were listed as contributing factors in his death, according to the Los Angeles County Medical Examiner’s Office. Authorities are investigating whether Perry received drugs in the mail, according to TMZ, which first reported the news.