Los Angeles police open criminal investigation into Matthew Perry's death

The Los Angeles Police Department opened a criminal investigation into the death of Matthew Perry on Tuesday. According to authorities, they are looking to find the person who provided Perry with the ketamine that led to his death. This is part of an "open investigation."

NBC News reported that the Los Angeles Police Department is working with the DEA, which declined to comment further, to find out the source of the drug that killed the "Friends" actor.

Matthew Perry died last October in a hot tub at his home in Los Angeles. Initially, there were no indications that his death was related to drug use, but months later, the medical examiner determined that his death was due to the "acute effects of ketamine."

Matthew Perry's multiple addiction problems

It is no secret that the actor, who rose to fame thanks to his role as Chandler Bing in the sitcom "Friends," had drug problems. He acknowledged this in the memoir he published in 2022 titled "Friends, Lovers and the Big Terrible Thing." He described how he struggled with a serious addiction to alcohol and opioids and that led him to various stints in rehab.

In that book, Perry explained that his addiction began after he had a jet ski accident in 1997. At that time, he was prescribed Vicodin and he was unable to get off of it. The situation got so bad that he almost died in 2019 when his colon burst from opioid abuse.

According to the Los Angeles County medical examiner, Perry had been clean for 19 months before he died. He became sober thanks to his ketamine infusion therapy. This treatment was becoming popular to treat mental health problems. The report indicated that his last treatment was a week and a half before his death. He was using the therapy as a way to treat depression and anxiety.