Matthew Perry's Death Investigation: A Complete Timeline

Matthew Perry. David M. Benett/Dave Benett/Getty Images

Two months after died at age 54 in October 2023, his death was ruled an accident. That ruling proved to be far from the end of the story.

A December 2023 toxicology report concluded that Perry died from “the acute effects of ketamine.” The report noted that Perry had been receiving regular ketamine infusions to treat depression and anxiety, but his last infusion had taken place more than a week before his death. The discrepancy left room for questions about how and why Perry had ketamine in his system when he died.

In May 2024, the Los Angeles Police Department confirmed that they had opened an investigation into Perry’s death. Three months later, five individuals were hit with varying federal charges, including conspiracy to distribute ketamine causing death.

Keep scrolling for a complete timeline of the investigation of Perry’s death:

October 2023

Perry was found unresponsive in a hot tub at his Los Angeles home. He was pronounced dead later that day.

December 2023 Frederick M. Brown/Getty Images

The Los Angeles County Medical Examiner’s office released a toxicology report concluding that Perry died from “the acute effects of ketamine.” The actor’s death was ruled an accident, with drowning, coronary artery disease and the effects of buprenorphine (which is used to treat opioid use) listed as contributing factors.

May 2024

The Los Angeles Police Department confirmed that they had opened an investigation into Perry’s death, focusing specifically on how Perry obtained the ketamine found in his system when he died.

August 2024

The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Central District of California shared a press release announcing that , a licensed physician, and , a.k.a. “The Ketamine Queen,” an alleged drug dealer, were arrested on August 15 in connection with Perry’s death. Both Plasencia and Sangha were charged with one count of conspiracy to distribute ketamine.

Sangha was also charged with one count of maintaining a drug-involved premises, one count of possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine, one count of possession with intent to distribute ketamine and five counts of distribution of ketamine; while Plasencia was also charged with seven counts of distribution of ketamine and two counts of altering and falsifying documents or records related to the federal investigation.

The press release named three other individuals who had been separately charged in connection to Perry’s death: Perry’s former personal assistant , his acquaintance , and , another physician.

Fleming pleaded guilty on August 8 to one count of conspiracy to distribute ketamine and one count of distribution of ketamine resulting in death. According to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Central District of California, Fleming admitted in court documents that he distributed the ketamine that killed Perry.

Newsmakers/Getty Images

Iwamasa pleaded guilty on August 7 to one count of conspiracy to distribute ketamine causing death, and admitted to repeatedly injecting Perry with ketamine without medical training, including on the day he died. Chavez has agreed to plead guilty to one count of conspiracy to distribute ketamine.

The indictment claims that Plasencia learned in September 2023 that Perry was interested in obtaining ketamine and contacted Chavez, who previously operated a ketamine clinic, to obtain ketamine for the actor. Plasencia then allegedly “distributed ketamine to Perry and Iwamasa outside the usual course of professional practice and without a legitimate medical purpose on at least seven occasions” during September and October of 2023.

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“He did so by teaching Iwamasa how to inject Perry with ketamine, selling ketamine to Iwamasa to inject into Perry, leaving vials of ketamine with Iwamasa for self-administration, personally injecting ketamine into Perry without the proper safety equipment — including once inside a car parked in a Long Beach parking lot — and failing to properly monitor Perry after Plasencia injected Perry with the drug,” the indictment claims.

In text messages to Chavez discussing how much to charge Perry for ketamine, Plasencia allegedly wrote, “I wonder how much this moron will pay.”

United States Attorney said in a statement: “These defendants cared more about profiting off of Mr. Perry than caring for his well-being. Drug dealers selling dangerous substances are gambling with other people’s lives over greed. This case, along with our many other prosecutions of drug dealers who cause death, send a clear message that we will hold drug-dealers accountable for the deaths they cause.”

In this articleMatthew Perry

Matthew Perry's Death Investigation: A Complete Timeline

Matthew Perry's Death Investigation: A Complete Timeline

Matthew Perry's Death Investigation: A Complete Timeline

Matthew Perry's Death Investigation: A Complete Timeline

Matthew Perry's Death Investigation: A Complete Timeline