Beloved Actor’s Unexpected Death Sparks Investigation by U.S. Postal Service

The death of a beloved famous actor in October 2023 had been ruled an accidental drowning with multiple contributing factors. Now, however, his death is being investigated by the United States Postal Service.

Matthew Perry, renowned for his role as Chandler Bing on the iconic NBC sitcom series Friends was found dead in his hot tub on October 28, 2023, at the age of 54.

His death was a significant loss to the entertainment world, sparking an outpouring of tributes from fans and fellow actors alike. Perry was found unresponsive in his Los Angeles home, prompting an immediate investigation by local authorities. Initial reports suggested no signs of foul play, leading to widespread speculation about the cause of his sudden demise.

The Los Angeles County Medical Examiner conducted an autopsy to determine the exact cause of Perry’s death. The findings, released several weeks later, confirmed that Perry died from an accidental drowning in his home’s jacuzzi.

Toxicology reports indicated the presence of prescription medications in his system that are commonly used to treat the types of long-standing health issues the beloved actor had, including chronic pain and anxiety. Among those drugs was one called ketamine, a drug about which the FDA had issued serious warnings only weeks before Perry’s death.

However, these substances were within therapeutic levels, and no illicit drugs were found at the time of the investigation.

The investigation concluded that his death was a tragic accident, likely exacerbated by his ongoing medical conditions, which included coronary artery disease.

A Reopened Death Investigation

Now, however, the investigation into the actor’s untimely death has been reopened and is being treated as a potentially criminal investigation. One of the items being investigated is the name of the person who administered the ketamine to the actor.

As part of that investigation, a branch of the United States Postal Service is now helping federal investigators with this effort.

According to a report on Tuesday, Perry’s tragic death in October is “mobilizing multiple federal agencies.” Those include the DEA or Drug Enforcement Administration, which is currently being assisted by the United States Postal Inspection Service in an attempt to determine who gave the actor the drug ketamine, which reportedly played a role in his death:

The USPS’ federal investigatory authorities are now involved in the probe, and looking into whether Matthew acquired any drugs through the mail. We’re told the postal inspectors are offering their expertise — including their ability to track packages and other mail-related investigation tools.

The report continues, noting that “local police and the DEA have been investigating the circumstances surrounding [Perry’s] passing for months after the toxicology report found the actor died from acute effects of ketamine.”

Though the report noted [Perry] had been undergoing ketamine infusion therapy for mental health issues more than a week before his passing, the medical examiner determined the ketamine in his system at the time of his death wasn’t from the treatment, raising the question of whether he got it from another, non-medical source.

The outcome of the investigation remains to be seen, and as this is a developing story, new information will be shared as it becomes available.

This post originally appeared on Disney Dining.