Death of Matthew Perry: why a criminal investigation has just been opened by the police, seven months after the death of the actor ?

Matthew Perry a été retrouvé inconscient dans son jacuzzi à son domicile de Los Angeles le 28 octobre 2023. MAXPPP – DAVID M. RUSSELL

The Los Angeles police announced this Tuesday, May 21, that they were investigating the circumstances of the death of actor Matthew Perry, star of the series Friends, who died on October 28 from the effects of treble" from taking ketamine.

Seven months after the death of Matthew Perry, found unconscious in his jacuzzi at his home in Los Angeles, the American authorities announced this Tuesday, May 21, the opening of a criminal investigation into the circumstances of his death.

A large quantity of ketamine

According to the report from the Los Angeles County forensic pathology office, the man who played Chandler Bing in the legendary series Friends died of "acute effects" d’taking ketamine. His death, which had been described as an "accident", is now under investigation.< /p>

In a press release, the Los Angeles Police Department said it was continuing its investigation with the help of the Federal Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) and the United States Postal Service (USPIS), "based on the forensic report", to understand why Matthew Perry had a significant amount of ketamine in his blood when he died.

Ketamine, an anesthetic sometimes misused for stimulating or euphoric purposes, was taken by the actor in a supervised manner as part of therapy sessions for depression. The question of how Matthew Perry, who did not have a supervised injection session several days before his death, obtained ketamine is now at the heart of the investigation.

Doctors often use ketamine as an anesthetic, and researchers have studied its use as a treatment for depression. Some people consume it illegally for its hallucinogenic effects.

Addiction to painkillers and alcohol

Before his death, the American actor had been battling his addiction to painkillers and alcohol for years. In his memoirs published last year, he confided having undergone 65 withdrawal sessions, spending more than nine million dollars.

Matthew Perry had also undergone several surgical operations linked to his drug addiction problems, including a seven-hour colon operation in 2018, lasting up to assert one day: "I should be dead".

His unexpected death aroused strong emotion and a shower of tributes, ranging from major Hollywood figures to Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau.