At least one person arrested in connection with star's ketamine overdose

Yahoo Entertainment can confirm that at least one person has been arrested and several people have reportedly been charged in connection with the death of Matthew Perry.

A criminal investigation was launched after the Los Angeles County Medical Examiner's Office determined that Perry died from the “acute effects of ketamine.” Friends Star was found dead in his pool on October 28, 2023.

🚨 Several people have reportedly been charged at the federal level

Yahoo can confirm that at least one person has been arrested, according to a source familiar with the case. NBC News cites law enforcement sources who say an arrest was made in Southern California on Thursday.

ABC News reports that five people, including two doctors, have been charged with conspiracy to distribute ketamine. According to a federal source, investigators believe the doctors were Perry's first contacts, but when the drugs became too expensive, he sought out a new source. This person is allegedly known as the “Ketamine Queen of Los Angeles.” These individuals have been charged in the death of another person, referred to in the indictment as “CM.”

Multiple agencies are investigating Perry's death, including the Los Angeles Police Department, the Drug Enforcement Administration, the U.S. Postal Service and the U.S. Attorney's Office Central District of California. Yahoo Entertainment has reached out to all of them for comment.

📱 Text messages allegedly led to arrests

Sources told TMZ that a search warrant allegedly showed Perry texting about obtaining ketamine, the price he would pay for it, and what the drug dealers would do to get it for him.

The fact that the postal service cooperated in the investigation suggests that drugs or money were probably sent through the mail.

🔍 What is ketamine?

Ketamine is a dissociative anesthetic that, according to the DEA, has hallucinogenic effects. Ketamine therapy is becoming increasingly popular as a treatment for mental illness and is legal for licensed physicians. Perry's autopsy report states that the actor had undergone ketamine therapy to treat anxiety and depression. However, the medical examiner said “the ketamine in his system at the time of his death could not have come from this IV therapy” because it was administered to him by a physician a week and a half before his death.

Ketamine is also a popular street drug and can be taken recreationally. It first became popular as a club drug in the 1990s due to its psychedelic effects. The level of ketamine in Perry's body at the time of his death was so high that it was in the range used for general anesthesia during surgery, the coroner said.

➡️ Other factors contributing to Perry’s death

Perry's death was ruled an accident – “drug and drowning related.” The Los Angeles County Medical Examiner announced that drowning, coronary heart disease and the effects of buprenorphine, which is used to treat opioid addiction, were listed as contributing factors. Perry spoke openly about his years of opioid addiction. The cause of death was ruled an accident.

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