Celebrity drug deaths: Dealers on the hunt for

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(NewsNation) – Police have launched an investigation into the death of Matthew Perry, possibly related to the question of who gave him the drugs.

A law enforcement source told People on Tuesday that the investigation is nearing completion and that authorities believe “multiple people” should be charged in connection with the “Friends” star’s death.

The source said the U.S. Attorney’s Office, which responded with “no comment” on Tuesday, will decide whether to file charges.

Perry, 54, was found dead in a hot tub at his Pacific Palisades home on Oct. 28. The Los Angeles Fire Department said the actor was found unconscious in a hot tub when a passerby waited for emergency services to arrive and held Perry’s head above water. Upon reaching the home, firefighters quickly pulled Perry from the water, but a quick medical examination determined he had died before emergency responders arrived.

Criminal defense attorney Cori Ferrentino, who represented the drug dealer responsible for Mac Miller’s overdose death, appeared on NewsNation’s “Banfield” to discuss the deadly drug supply chain.

“What really changed before the Mac Miller case is that these cases were moved from state courts to federal courts. In state courts, they were trying to charge these individuals with murder and had difficulty proving intent to kill,” Ferrentino said. “So they moved most of the cases to federal courts, where they only have to prove conspiracy to distribute a controlled substance. But if it results in death, there is a mandatory minimum sentence of 20 years. That’s what my client was facing.”

Autopsy report reveals cause of death

Los Angeles County has released Perry’s autopsy. The cause of death was determined to be acute exposure to ketamine, said Deputy Coroner Raffi Djabourian.

The autopsy revealed traces of ketamine in the actor’s stomach. He was reportedly receiving ketamine infusion therapy for depression and anxiety.

Ketamine is a dissociative anesthetic with medical and surgical uses. Due to its “dissociative” nature, it is also known as a recreational drug.

According to the report, toxicology tests showed ketamine levels of 3540 ng/ml and 3271 ng/ml in Perry’s blood. For comparison, the medical examiner’s office said that in a surgical setting, levels under general anesthesia are typically in the range of 1000-6000 ng/ml.

According to the report, Perry’s official cause of death was “the acute effects of ketamine,” with contributing factors including drowning, coronary heart disease and the effects of buprenorphine. Buprenorphine is used to treat opioid addiction.

Perry’s cause of death is described as “accidental (drug-related and drowning).”

“Given the high levels of ketamine found in his post-mortem blood samples, the most fatal consequences would be both hyperstimulation of the cardiovascular system and respiratory depression. Drowning could be a contributing factor,” the report said.

NewsNation’s Caitlyn Shelton contributed to this report.