Several people have been charged in connection with the accidental overdose death of actor Matthew Perry, law enforcement sources informed NBC News on Thursday.
Perry, 54, was discovered face down in the heated section of his pool at his Pacific Palisades residence on October 28, 2023. The Los Angeles County Medical Examiner’s Office determined that his death resulted from the acute effects of ketamine, a powerful anesthetic with psychedelic properties.
Sources reported that at least one person was arrested in Southern California early Thursday. Federal prosecutors are expected to unseal an indictment later today, revealing the charges against that individual and others involved.
In May, Los Angeles police confirmed they were collaborating with federal authorities to trace the source of the ketamine that Perry had ingested.
Ketamine has long been a popular party drug, but in recent years, it has emerged as a promising alternative treatment for depression. An increasing number of clinics now offer ketamine infusions or injections to address a variety of mental health conditions.
Perry had been receiving ketamine infusion therapy for depression and anxiety; however, his final session occurred more than a week before his death. The medical examiner determined that the ketamine found in Perry’s system could not have come from his infusion therapy, citing the drug's short half-life.
The medical examiner found that the ketamine levels in his body were significantly high—comparable to those used for general anesthesia in surgery.
The coroner classified his death as an accident, with contributing factors including drowning, coronary artery disease, and the effects of buprenorphine, a medication used to treat opioid use disorder.
Perry, widely known for his role as Chandler Bing on “Friends,” had openly discussed his long battle with opioid addiction and alcoholism, detailing his experiences in his 2022 memoir, “Friends, Lovers and the Big Terrible Thing.” However, according to the medical examiner’s report, he had been sober for 19 months at the time of his death.
In cases like this, it’s not uncommon for law enforcement to investigate—and sometimes prosecute—those who provided the drugs leading to a high-profile death.
Following Michael Jackson's death in 2009, his personal physician, Dr. Conrad Murray, was convicted of involuntary manslaughter for administering a lethal dose of powerful drugs to the singer. More recently, in 2021, federal prosecutors in New York charged four men for supplying actor Michael K. Williams with the fentanyl-laced heroin that led to his death.
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