Criminal charges possible in death of Matthew Perry: Report
New reports Wednesday say that criminal charges could be recommended in connection with the death of actor Matthew Perry. The Los Angeles Times reported investigators have linked several people to how Perry obtained the drug Ketamine, which was found in his system.
The beloved "Friends" actor was found unresponsive in his pool on Oct. 28, "floating face down in the heated end," the report states. He was 54.
In December, the Los Angeles County Medical Examiner's Office released an autopsy report attributing his passing to an overdose of ketamine. Contributing factors included drowning, coronary artery disease, and the presence of buprenorphine, a medication used to treat opioid addiction.
Perry was reportedly being treated with Ketamine for depression, but had not had an infusion by a medical professional in more than a week before his death. KCAL talked to an emergency room doctor familiar with how ketamine can impact patients.
"It needs to be used under doctor supervision," said Dr. Angelique Campen. "It has to be with a cardiac monitor and oxygen monitor and under the care and supervision of a doctor. When I use ketamine in the emergency department, I use it as a dissociative agent, like if I'm doing a painful procedure on someone."
The new report said that investigators are getting closer to discovering where Perry got the Ketamine found in his system at the time of his death.
