Investigation launched into the death of Matthew Perry

The Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD) say that they have reopened an investigation into the death of the late 'Friends' actor Matthew Perry.

Alongside the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), a criminal inquiry has been launched into how Perry obtained the prescription drug ketamine, traces of which were found in the actor's stomach, according to the Los Angeles Medical Examiner.

The LAPD confirmed the investigation on Tuesday in a media statement verifying their collaboration with the DEA and the US Postal Inspection Service in this investigation.

A report summary declared that Perry has been using "ketamine infusion therapy for depression and anxiety" and was reportedly 19 months drug-free.

The actor's last prescription was filled a week and a half before the his death. However, the chief medical examiner stated that the amount of ketamine ingested was not consistent with the levels of the drug that was used for drug therapy

Perry was found dead on 28 October last year at age 54 in a hot tub at his Los Angeles home; the incident was ruled as an accident from the "acute amount of ketamine" found in the actor's system, as was confirmed by the Los Angeles Medical Examiner.

Whilst anaesthetic ketamine can sometimes be used to treat depression, the autopsy found that the traces of the drug found in Perry's system were comparable to that of a general anaesthetic.

Back in December, the autopsy statement reported: "High Levels of ketamine found in his postmortem blood specimens, the main lethal effects would be from both cardiovascular overstimulation and respiratory depression". The autopsy also declared no foul play and that the manner of death was an accident.

Drowning and coronary artery disease were contributing factors in the actor's death, as were the effects of buprenorphine, a synthetic opioid used to treat opioid use disorders, but this investigation, initially reported by TMZ, will focus on the high amount of Ketamine that was in the actor's possession.

Perry was open about his struggles with drug addiction during his life, particularly in his memoir 'Friends, Lovers, and the Big Terrible Thing'  which was released in 2022 and discussed the 'Friends' actor's drug abuse habits and addiction writing,' Addiction, the big terrible thing, is far too powerful for anyone to defeat alone. But together, one day at a time, we can beat it down'.