Postmortem report has confirmed that “Friends” star Matthew Perry died as a result of “acute effects of ketamine” and subsequent drowning.
The report, released by the Los Angeles Medical Examiner’s Office, shows Perry’s blood tested positive for ketamine, which is known to treat depression and anxiety.
“At the high levels of ketamine found in his postmortem blood specimens, the main lethal effects would be from both cardiovascular overstimulation and respiratory depression,” the report states.
The report has ruled out any kind of staged murder and confirmed that the death was indeed an accident.
Perry was found floating face down in the pool of his Malibu home on October 28. Authorities said at the time that no foul play was involved.
The actor, 54, was found “unconscious in a stand-alone jacuzzi,” a spokesperson for the LA Fire Department told CNN in a statement at the time.
Perry was “reported to be receiving ketamine infusion therapy for depression and anxiety,” the autopsy report states.
The report further explains that ketamine has medical and surgical uses as an anesthetic and is also known as a recreational drug “mainly due to its ‘dissociative’ nature, indicating disconnection of mind and body. It can also have short duration hallucinatory and psychedelic effects.”
Perry’s last known treatment was a week and a half prior to his death, the autopsy states, well beyond the time it would still be in his system from the treatment.
A live-in assistant found Perry’s unresponsive body in the pool after returning home from running errands, the investigative summary of his autopsy report shows.
“The assistant jumped into the pool, moved the decedent into a sitting position on the steps, and called 911,” says the report.
Drowning is considered a contributing factor to Perry’s death “due to the likelihood of submersion into the pool as he lapsed into unconsciousness,” the autopsy states.
“The assistant did not report any recent illnesses, complaints, drinking, or drug abuse,” the report states.
