Criminal investigation launched into Friends actor Matthew Perry's death

Six months after his sudden passing, a criminal investigation has been launched into the death of Matthew Perry.

The world lost the incredible actor, who is best known for starring in the hit sitcom Friends, on 28 October 2023.

He was found deceased in the hot tub at his Los Angeles home and an autopsy ruled that it was an 'accident' which had occurred partly as a result of the 'acute effects of ketamine'.

The Los Angeles Medical Examiner's office also listed 'drowning, coronary artery disease and the effects of buprenorphine' as contributing factors.

At the time of his death, Perry had been receiving ketamine infusion therapy for depression, and had previously written about it in his book Friends, Lovers and the Big Terrible Thing.

The Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD) and the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) have now announced that they have opened a joint criminal investigation into the actor's death.

The LAPD and DEA are probing how the star came to have a high amount of drugs in his system, as the ketamine noted by the medical examiner was not from the last-known infusion he had, which was a week and a half before his passing, The Guardian reports.

The contents from the infusion would have only been in his system for three to four hours, it was concluded, according to The Hollywood Reporter.

A criminal investigation into Perry's death is now underway (Phillip Faraone/Getty Images for GQ)

The LAPD and DEA said that they intend to get to the bottom of the circumstances in which Perry acquired the drug, and who he got it from.

In a statement on Tuesday (21 May), the LAPD confirmed that it is working alongside both the DEA and the US Postal Inspection Service on an investigation into Perry's death.

No arrests have yet been made in relation to the probe, which was first reported on by TMZ.

Perry was very open about his struggles with addiction over the years and had been a staunch advocate who warned of the dangers of alcohol and drugs, as he had experienced substance abuse issues since the young age of 14.

Perry was best known for his role as Chandler Bing in Friends (NBC)

But according to his autopsy, the actor had been sober for 19 months at the time of his death, with no known substance abuse relapses since then, while investigators found no alcohol, illicit drugs or drug paraphernalia at the scene.

The report suggested that the ketamine in Perry's body would have overstimulated his heart and depressed his breathing, causing him to 'lapse into unconsciousness' before he slipped below the water in his hot tub.

Perry's autopsy stated that an 'exact method of intake' of the ketamine could not be specified, while also noting that there were no new needle marks found on his body which indicated he had injected it.

LADbible have contacted the Los Angeles Police Department and the Drug Enforcement Administration for comment.