Death of Matthew Perry!

From time to time, our attention is drawn to some tragedy involving drug or alcohol addiction. Recently, an investigation into the death of the famous actor Matthew Perry (Chandler Bing in the sitcom 'Friends' which aired from 1994-2004) came to an end. Perry released a memoir a year before his death, called 'Friends, Lovers and the Big Terrible Thing' which contained harrowing details of his struggle to overcome addiction. At the time, he said he had been drug-free for the past year and a half. Less than a year later, he was dead. At first, the coroner said his drowning in his hot tub was an accident, the result of a combination of drugs he had taken and heart disease. But a new inquiry was opened in May, 2024 to find out why there was so much of the drug ketamine (Ketamine in English) in his blood. Perry had been using ketamine infusion therapy for intensive treatment of depression and anxiety, but his last session was more than a week before his death.

The Doctor and the Ketamine Queen

Perry’s blood contained the same amount of ketamine as would be used in a general anaesthetic. Where did it come from? It was reported in the Los Angeles Times in June that investigators employed by the Los Angeles Police Department, the Federal Drug Enforcement Administration and the United States Postal Service successfully linked certain individuals to the supply of ketamine. It was an incredible story, and five people were charged in relation to Perry's death. When Perry asked his regular doctor to prescribe him more ketamine, he refused. Then Perry found another doctor who wouldn't have a problem with that- Doctor Salvador Plasencia. Prosecutors allege that Plasencia used Perry's desperation and addiction to get money. Another doctor, Dr. Mark Chavez, was helping Plasencia, and illegally getting him ketamine. They had no scruples, and Plasencia sent a text to Chavez, saying: "I wonder how much this moron will pay." There is no doubt that Plasencia and Chavez believed that Perry was a money bags. And they were right, about the money anyway. Perry paid $55,000 in cash for a dozen vials of ketamine in the last month of his life. But a vial of ketamine usually only costs $20! What kind of doctor sells drugs at an outrageous price to a patient with an addiction problem? What kind of doctor takes advantage of his own patient's disease? What kind of doctor is so selfish that he would kill his own patient? That person, in my opinion, is not a doctor, but a drug dealer who only cares about money.

Another criminal network was also at work, supplying Perry with drugs. A drug dealer and ketamine distributor named Jasveen Sangha, known as the 'Queen of Ketamine', was supplying Perry with ketamine through another drug dealer, Erik Fleming. Perry knew Fleming because before he became a drug dealer, Fleming was a film director in Hollywood. Fleming gave 50 vials of ketamine to Perry's personal assistant, a man named Kenneth Iwamasa. Iwamasa gave Perry ketamine injections every day – he gave him 27 injections in the five days leading up to Perry's death, and 3 injections on the day of his death. Iwamasa was not qualified to give Perry ketamine injections, but Placensia showed him how to do it. The five (Plasencia, Chavez, Sangha, Fleming and Iwamasa) were charged with various crimes related to the distribution of ketamine and Perry's death. Plasencia and Sangha pleaded not guilty, but Chavez, Fleming and Iwamasa pleaded guilty.

The five (Plasencia, Chavez, Sangha, Fleming and Iwamasa) were charged with various crimes related to the distribution of ketamine and Perry's death. Plasencia and Sangha pleaded not guilty, but Chavez, Fleming and Iwamasa pleaded guilty.

Sentences?

What is the fate of the five, in terms of sentences? In the case of those who pleaded guilty, Chavez could face up to 10 years in prison, Iwamasa up to 15 years and Fleming up to 25 years. In the case of Sangha and Plasencia, if convicted of all charges against them, it is more than likely that both of them will spend their lives in prison.

Conclusion

Ketamine is an addictive drug, used as an anesthetic and as a therapy for depression. It is a controlled substance and an illegal drug. Perry first got it as therapy, but then became addicted to ketamine. It was a terrible choice to give an addict an addictive drug like this, and Perry was known to the world to be an addict. Worse than that, instead of helping him, his doctor, friend and personal assistant took advantage of his illness, and eventually killed him. I hope that all five of those criminals spend a long time in prison for their heinous crimes. Maybe that will send a clear message to other criminals thinking of doing something like that.

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