An investigation has been opened into the death of Friends actor Matthew Perry and how he received the powerful prescription drug ketamine, which was believed to be a contributing factor in his death.
Tuesday's revelation of an ongoing criminal investigation by police and two federal agencies came five months after the Los Angeles County medical examiner concluded that Perry succumbed to an accidental drug overdose and drowned, with no foul play suspected.
The Autopsy report dated December 15 concluded that Perry died from the “acute effects of ketamine,” which combined with other factors caused the actor to lose consciousness and slip underwater in the hot tub of 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 continued,” the spokesperson said. LAPD said in a statement.
A police spokesperson said detectives from the LAPD's Robbery-Homicide Unit conducted the police investigation.
Toxicology tests showed that ketamine, a short-acting anesthetic with hallucinogenic properties, was dangerously high in Perry's body, well within the range typically associated with general anesthesia used in controlled surgical care, the autopsy said.
Coronary artery disease, the effects of the opioid addiction drug buprenorphine – also detected in his system – and drowning were cited as contributing factors in his study. Death October 28.