An investigation has been opened into the death of Friends actor Matthew Perry and how he received the powerful prescription drug ketamine, which was ruled a contributing factor in his death.
The disclosure on Tuesday of an ongoing criminal probe by police and two federal agencies came five months after the Los Angeles County medical examiner concluded Perry succumbed to an accidental drug overdose and drowning, with no foul play suspected.
The December 15 autopsy report concluded Perry died from the “acute effects of ketamine”, which combined with other factors caused the actor to lose consciousness and slip below the water in the hot tub at his Los Angeles home.
“Based on the medical examiner’s findings, the Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD), with the assistance of the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) and the United States Postal Inspection Service, has continued its investigation into the circumstances of Mr Perry’s death,” the LAPD said in a statement.
A police spokesperson said detectives from the LAPD’s robbery-homicide division were conducting the police inquiry.
Toxicology tests found ketamine, a short-acting anesthetic with hallucinogenic properties, in Perry’s body at dangerously high levels well within the range typically associated with general anesthesia used in monitored surgical care, the autopsy said.
Coronary artery disease, the effects of the opioid-addiction medicine buprenorphine – also detected in his system – and drowning were listed as contributing factors in his October 28 death.