LOS ANGELES — In a shocking revelation, a prosecutor has announced that five individuals have been indicted in relation to the tragic death of Matthew Perry, who succumbed to a ketamine overdose last year. The charged individuals include the actor’s personal assistant and two medical professionals.
The U.S. Attorney, Martin Estrada, made the announcement on Thursday, stating that the doctors had provided Perry with an excessive quantity of ketamine. He even mentioned a text message where the doctors speculated about the amount the renowned “Friends” actor would be willing to pay for the drug.
“These defendants exploited Mr. Perry’s addiction problems for their own financial gain. They were fully aware that their actions were unethical,” Estrada commented.
Two of the accused, including one of the doctors, have been apprehended, according to Estrada.
The prosecutor revealed that the defendants had exchanged messages shortly after Perry’s death, acknowledging ketamine as the cause. Estrada stated that they attempted to conceal their role in providing Perry with ketamine, a potent anesthetic often used for chronic pain management.
In May, the Los Angeles police announced their collaboration with the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration and the U.S. Postal Inspection Service to investigate why the 54-year-old actor had such a high concentration of the surgical anesthetic in his system.
Perry was discovered face down in his hot tub on October 28, and was pronounced dead on the spot by the paramedics who were called to the scene.
His autopsy report, released in December, revealed that the level of ketamine in his blood was equivalent to the dosage used for general anesthesia during surgery.
The use of ketamine, a drug that has been around for decades, has seen a significant increase in recent years as a treatment for depression, anxiety, and pain. People close to Perry informed the coroner’s investigators that he was undergoing ketamine infusion therapy.
However, the medical examiner stated that Perry’s last treatment, which took place 1 1/2 weeks prior to his death, wouldn’t account for the high levels of ketamine in his blood. The drug is typically metabolized within a few hours. The report also mentioned that Perry was under the care of at least two doctors, a psychiatrist and an anesthesiologist who was his primary care physician. No illegal drugs or paraphernalia were found at his residence.
The report listed ketamine as the primary cause of death, which was ruled an accident with no suspicion of foul play. Drowning and other medical conditions were also identified as contributing factors, according to the coroner.
Perry, who played the iconic character Chandler Bing on the hit sitcom “Friends” alongside Jennifer Aniston, Courteney Cox, Lisa Kudrow, Matt LeBlanc, and David Schwimmer, had a long history of battling addiction. His struggles dated back to his time on the show, which aired for 10 seasons from 1994 to 2004 and made him one of the most prominent television stars of his generation.
I disagree with the notion that these individuals should face charges for Matthew Perry’s demise.
I disagree with charging the individuals for Matthew Perry’s demise. #justice #innocentuntilprovenguilty