The first arrests in the investigation into Matthew Perry‘s death have reportedly been made, reportedly including a doctor. The Friends star died on October 28, 2023 at the age of 54, and in December 2023 his death was ruled an accidental overdose caused by acute effects of ketamine. Los Angeles police had been working with federal authorities on the investigation since May 2024.
NBC News reported on Thursday, August 15 that one arrest was made on Thursday morning in Southern California in connection to Perry’s death. ABC News reported that it was multiple arrests and that those arrested are now facing federal charges. ABC News also reported that a doctor was among those arrested.
The reported arrests made on August 15 are presumably connected to whomever supplied the drug to Perry. More details on the reported arrests and charges will be announced at a news briefing with the with the U.S. attorney for Los Angeles and the head of the Drug Enforcement Administration later today.
Perry was found unresponsive at the heated end of his pool at his Pacific Palisades Los Angeles home on October 28. The toxicology report from the Los Angeles County Medical Examiner’s Office attributed his death to the acute effects of ketamine, noting that contributing factors included drowning, coronary artery disease, and the effects of buprenorphine (a medication used to treat opioid use disorder). There were no signs of foul play found in the death.
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“At the high levels of ketamine found in his postmortem blood specimens, the main lethal effects would be from both cardiovascular overstimulation and respiratory depression,” the report said, per Variety.
Perry had been receiving ketamine infusion therapy to treat the symptoms of depression and anxiety, with his most recent treatment reportedly occurring 1.5 weeks before his death, according to the autopsy report.
The medical examiner also determined that the ketamine in Perry’s system at the time of his death could not have been the result of that last infusion, as ketamine’s half-like (the time it takes for the total amount of a drug in a body to reduce by 50 percent) is three to four hours or less.
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