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Police are investigating the circumstances around actor Matthew Perry's death, more than six months after his body was found in a hot tub at his Los Angeles home.
The Los Angeles Police Department and the Drug Enforcement Administration have launched a joint probe into the source of the ketamine that was found in his body, NBC News reported. The U.S. Postal Service is also involved in the investigation.
Perry’s sudden death in October led to a wave of grief across Hollywood and among his fans. The 54-year-old “Friends” actor had long struggled with addiction, which he wrote candidly about in his well-regarded 2022 memoir, “Friends, Lovers, and the Big Terrible Thing.”
Perry's autopsy report had stated the primary cause of his death as "acute effects" of ketamine, with drowning and coronary artery disease listed as contributing factors. The Los Angeles Medical Examiner ruled his death an accident, and no foul play was suspected.
Ketamine, an anesthetic, is increasingly used as an alternative treatment for depression, anxiety and other mental health issues. Perry himself had been using ketamine infusion therapy, and the last dose he received was a week-and-a-half before his death, according to the autopsy.
Still, the levels of ketamine found in his body were higher than usual, especially since the drug takes hours to metabolize. Police have said that no illicit drugs were found at his home.