Police believe “multiple people” should be charged in Matthew Perry’s death: Report

A law enforcement source investigating the death of Matthew Perry shared with PEOPLE that they are nearing the end of their probe and believe “multiple” individuals should face federal charges. 

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

The source told PEOPLE that the U.S. Attorney’s Office will have the final say on whether or not to press charges. ABC reported that the U.S. attorney could opt to refer the case back to California prosecutors if they do not elect 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, per what an LAPD investigative source told PEOPLE. The police department launched its formal investigation in December, following the release of the medical examination.