Matthew Perry’s stepfather, Keith Morrison, is speaking out after authorities announced two arrests Thursday in connection with the “Friends” star’s death in October, when Perry died from the acute effects of ketamine.
“We were and still are heartbroken by Matthew’s death, but it has helped to know law enforcement has taken his case very seriously,” Morrison, known for his work on “Dateline NBC,” told multiple outlets this week in a family statement.
“We look forward to justice taking its course and we’re grateful for the exceptional work of the multiple agencies whose agents investigated Matthew’s death,” he continued. “We’re hoping unscrupulous suppliers of dangerous drugs will get the message.”
The Justice Department said Thursday that physician Dr. Salvador Plasencia and a woman named Jasveen Sangha — identified as “The Ketamine Queen” of North Hollywood for allegedly dealing drugs — have been charged in Perry’s death.
The defendants, who each face one count of conspiracy to distribute ketamine, joined three other individuals charged in the matter — Erik Fleming, Kenneth Iwamasa and Dr. Mark Chavez — who’ve either already pleaded guilty or agreed to do so, per the Justice Department.
Fleming pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to distribute ketamine and one count of distribution of ketamine resulting in death, the department said. He allegedly said that he got the drug from Sangha and gave ketamine vials to Iwamasa, Perry’s assistant.
The Justice Department also said that Iwamasa, who has pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to distribute ketamine causing death, admitted to repeatedly injecting Perry with the drug on the day of his death.
Left: Rob Kim/Getty Images; Right: Jordan Strauss/Invision/Associated Press
The Justice Department said Chavez, who “previously operated a ketamine clinic,” has agreed to plead guilty to one count of conspiracy to distribute ketamine. Chavez “diverted” ketamine from his former clinic and sold it to Plasencia, the department said.
“After learning about Perry’s interest in ketamine, Plasencia contacted Chavez … to obtain ketamine to sell to Perry,” the Justice Department wrote. “In text messages to Chavez, Plasencia discussed how much to charge Perry for the ketamine, stating, ‘I wonder how much this moron will pay.’”
Sangha could face a sentence of up to life behind bars if found guilty, while other defendants in the case face sentences of up to 10 years or more.
Perry, whose performance as Chandler Bing on the hit sitcom “Friends” made him a star, was found dead last year of an apparent drowning in his hot tub. An autopsy later confirmed ketamine as the cause of his death, with drowning as a contributing factor.
Morrison, who had known Perry since he was a child, married Perry’s mother in 1981.
He recently said on the “Making Space” podcast that his grief is present “every day,” and that Perry had been close with his mom around the time of his death.
“Toward the end of his life, they were closer than I have seen them for decades,” he said on the March podcast episode.
Need help with substance use disorder or mental health issues? In the U.S., call 800-662-HELP (4357) for the SAMHSA National Helpline.
