Police believe ‘multiple people’ should be charged over Matthew Perry’s death: report

A law enforcement source investigating Matthew Perry’s death tells PEOPLE they are nearing the end of their investigation and believe “several” individuals should face federal charges.

The “Friends” actor was found unconscious in a hot tub at his Los Angeles home in October 2023 and was pronounced dead shortly after, at the age of 54. A post-mortem toxicology report conducted by the Los Angeles County Medical Examiner’s Office determined that Perry was deceased. from a combination of drowning, coronary heart disease and the effects of buprenorphine, with the effects of ketamine as the primary cause. The circumstances of the death were ruled accidental.

The source told PEOPLE that the U.S. Attorney’s Office will have the final say on whether to file charges. ABC reported that the U.S. Attorney could choose to refer the case to California prosecutors if they don’t choose to file charges.

In May, the Los Angeles Police Department began working alongside the Drug Enforcement Administration and U.S. postal inspectors to deduce where the ketamine Perry had used came from, according to an LAPD investigative source. told PEOPLE. Police opened a formal investigation in December, following the publication of the medical examination.