Matthew Perry’s stepfather has issued a stark warning to drug dealers who supplied the star with ketamine before his death.
The Friends actor was found unresponsive in the hot tub of his Los Angeles home on October 28 last year after succumbing to the effects of ketamine and drowning at the age of 54.
And now, a year after the star’s tragic and unexpected passing, her family is speaking out., Those involved have been issued four-word warnings and charged in connection with her death.
Touching on the current investigation, TODAY journalist Savannah Guthrie explains how five people have been charged in connection with the actor’s death, three of whom have pleaded guilty and two have pleaded not guilty.
Matthew’s stepfather, Keith Morrison, a Canadian broadcast journalist known for his work on Dateline NBC, then weighed in — and he didn’t hold back.
“What I’m hoping for, and I think the agencies that got involved are hoping for, [is] That those who have put themselves in the business of supplying people with drugs that will kill them are now on notice,” Keith began.
He then added that it “doesn’t matter” what his professional credentials are before warning, “You’re going down, kid.”
Jaswin Singha and one of the doctors will go on trial next year and could face years in prison.
“I’m very happy,” Matthew’s mother Suzanne said of the trial, which is set for March 2025.
Matthew’s death was ruled an accident, although other factors included drowning, coronary artery disease and the effects of buprenorphine, which is used to treat opioid use disorder.
Ahead of the interview’s unveiling today, Savannah shared a clip from her chat with family where her mother explained how she was “distraught” after her last interaction with her son.
“He went through a period, interestingly enough, before he died, when he was showing me a new house.
“He came to me and he said, ‘I love you so much and I’m so happy to be with you now.’
“It was almost like it was a prophecy or something.
“I didn’t think about it at the time but I thought, ‘How long has it been since we’ve had a conversation like this. It’s been years.’
He added, “I think there was something there. There was an inevitability to what was going to happen to him, and he felt it very strongly.
“But he said, ‘I’m not afraid anymore.’ And that bothered me.”
Five people have been charged in Matthew Perry’s death.
On August 15, prosecutors announced multiple charges in the tragic overdose death of Friends star Matthew Perry.
Here are the five people allegedly behind Perry’s ketamine crisis.
- “The Ketamine Queen of Los Angeles” Jaswin Singha. – According to the Los Angeles District Attorney’s office, Singha is a 41-year-old drug dealer who allegedly helped sell the ketamine that killed Perry. In 2019, Singha sold ketamine to another victim hours before she died, prosecutors say. After hearing the news of his death, she reportedly searched “can ketamine be listed as a cause of death” on Google. If convicted on all charges, he faces a maximum sentence of life in prison.
- “Dr. P” Dr. Salvador Plasencia – Placencia, 42, allegedly found out Perry was looking for ketamine, and got the dose from a dirty doctor. Speaking to the doctor over text, he reportedly said, “I wonder how much this idiot is going to pay.” Prosecutors say Placencia taught unlicensed people associated with Perry how to inject ketamine, and sometimes administered the injections in person. Perry’s assistant, trained by Placencia, administered the fatal dose on October 28, 2023. Placencia faces nine charges in connection with the death.
- Kenneth Iwamasa – According to prosecutors, Iwamasa, 59, was Perry’s live-in assistant who was allegedly taught how to administer ketamine by Dr. Placencia. He also corresponded with dealers to organize the sale and delivery of drugs. He admitted to injecting Perry several times on the day of her death in a guilty plea.
- Eric Fleming – Fleming, 54, is a dealer who helped Singha coordinate drug sales before they eventually reached Perry. He corresponded with Ewamasa while Ketamine was visiting his house. Fleming admitted to distributing 50 vials of ketamine to Iwamasa, half of them four days before Perry’s death.
- Dr. Mark Chavez – Chavez admitted to selling ketamine to Dr. Placencia by writing fake prescriptions. He also collaborated with Iwamasa to deliver drugs to Perry. Between September and October 2023, Plasencia, Chavez, and Iwamasa allegedly distributed approximately 20 vials of ketamine to Perry for $55,000 in cash.
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