5 charged in connection with Matthew Perry’s death
Five people have been charged in connection with Matthew Perry’s death from a ketamine overdose last year, including the actor’s assistant and two doctors, a prosecutor confirmed Thursday.
Two of the people, including one of the doctors charged, have been arrested. Two of the defendants, including Perry’s assistant, have pleaded guilty to charges already. A third person has agreed to plead guilty.
U.S. Attorney Martin Estrada announced the charges Thursday, according to The Associated Press, saying the doctors supplied Perry with a large amount of ketamine and even wondered in a text message how much the former Friends star would be willing to pay.
“These defendants took advantage of Mr. Perry’s addiction issues to enrich themselves. They knew what they were doing was wrong,” Estrada said.
Two of the defendants allegedly exchanged messages soon after Perry’s death referencing ketamine as the cause of death. Estrada said they tried to cover up their involvement in supplying Perry with the drug.
Perry died from the acute effects of the anesthetic ketamine last October at the age of 54. He was found drowned in the heated end of a pool at his Southern California home on Oct. 28, 2023.
In May, Los Angeles police said they were working with federal authorities to figure out the source of the ketamine, an anesthetic with psychedelic properties, Perry had consumed.
His death was deemed an accident with no foul play suspected.
People close to Perry told investigators that he was undergoing ketamine infusion therapy, an experimental treatment used to treat depression and anxiety. But the medical examiner said the levels of ketamine in Perry’s body were in the range used for general anesthesia during surgery, and that his last
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