Multiple People Charged Over Matthew Perry's Death, At Least 1 Arrest Made So Far
The 'Friends' actor's cause of death was determined to be due to the acute effects of ketamine.
Multiple people have been charged and at least one person has been arrested in connection with the accidental drug overdose death of 54-year-old Friends actor Matthew Perry, according to reports from the Associated Press and NBC News.
Law enforcement sources disclosed to the outlets that at least one person was arrested in Southern California early Thursday and that federal prosecutors are expected to unseal an indictment later the same day detailing the allegations against the arrested individual and the others facing charges.
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TMZ reported that multiple law enforcement agencies have executed search warrants and seized computers, phones and other electronic equipment while investigating who supplied Perry with the lethal dose of ketamine that caused him to lose consciousness and drown in his hot tub in Los Angeles on Oct. 28, 2023.
In May, Los Angeles police announced that they were working with the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration and the U.S. Postal Inspection Service to investigate how Perry had so much of the surgical anesthetic in his system at the time of his death.
Perry had been undergoing ketamine infusion therapy to treat his depression and anxiety, but with his last session taking place more than a week before his death, the Los Angeles medical examiner ruled that the high amount of ketamine in Perry's system "could not be from that infusion therapy." Instead, the amount of ketamine in Perry's body was equivalent to the amount used for general anesthesia during surgery, according to the medical examiner.
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Ultimately, Perry's death was determined to be an accident due to the acute effects of ketamine, with contributing factors including drowning, coronary artery disease and the effects of buprenorphine, which is used to treat opioid use disorder.
At the time, Perry's former Friends co-stars – Jennifer Aniston, Courteney Cox, Matt LeBlanc, David Schwimmer and Lisa Kudrow – released a statement mourning their former co-star. "We are all so utterly devastated by the loss of Matthew. We were more than just cast mates. We are a family," the statement to PEOPLE read. "There is so much to say, but right now we're going to take a moment to grieve and process this unfathomable loss. In time we will say more, as and when we are able. For now, our thoughts and our love are with Matty's family, his friends, and everyone who loved him around the world."