Results From Matthew Perry's Toxicology Report Spark Criminal Investigation

Matthew Perry's untimely death at the age of 54 on October 28, 2023, came as a shock to his friends, family, and "Friends" fans around the world. A few months later, Perry's official cause of death was made public; his autopsy report stated that he died accidentally from "acute effects of ketamine," via NPR. Now, nearly seven months after his death, it's been confirmed that there is an open, ongoing Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD) investigation into how Perry got the ketamine that killed him, according to the Los Angeles Times. The Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) is reportedly also involved with the investigation.

While news may just now be coming out that there is an investigation into how, where, and under what circumstances Perry got the ketamine that caused his death, it's apparently been going on for some time — ever since his cause of death was discovered, in fact. Some people have reportedly been questioned, but no arrests have been made.

Matthew Perry had been undergoing ketamine therapy before he died, which can be used to treat anxiety and depression, and is legal. However, the amount that was found in his system by the medical examiner wouldn't have been from a therapeutic dosage, so it seems that investigators are concerned that there may have been illegal activity connected to how Perry got the ketamine. Some cases of accidental overdose have resulted in the person(s) who supplied the deceased with the drugs being charged with drug distribution — two men who supplied singer Mac Miller with the drugs that he used in his fatal overdose are serving time in prison.

Even though there may be some closure if the person who supplied Perry with the ketamine is found and prosecuted, it won't change the sad fact that he's gone. Perry's cause of death was particularly heartbreaking given how well he seemed to have been doing in the months before his death. Perry had long battled addiction, including struggling with it while playing Chandler on "Friends." He'd written about his addiction in his memoir "Friends, Lovers and the Big Terrible Thing," and as he went on tour promoting the book, he talked about his sobriety. One of his "Friends" co-stars, Jennifer Aniston, talked about wanting people to remember Perry for the progress he'd been making before he died. Prior to his death, Perry himself said that he wanted to be remembered not for playing Chandler, but for helping others with addiction.