Matthew Perry death investigation: full timeline

two months later Matthew Perry Died in October 2023 at the age of 54 ruled an accident. But it turns out the ruling is far from the end of the world.

A December 2023 toxicology report concluded Perry died from “the acute effects of ketamine.” The report states that Perry had been receiving regular ketamine infusions to treat depression and anxiety, but his last infusion was more than a week before his death. The discrepancy raises questions about how and why Perry had ketamine in his system when he died.

In May 2024, the Los Angeles Police Department confirmed that they had Investigate Enter Perry’s death. Three months later, five people—— Dr. Salvador Placencia, Jaswan Sangha, Kenneth Imasa, Eric Fleming and Dr. Mark Chavez – is subject to various federal charges, including conspiring to distribute ketamine causing death.

Keep scrolling for the full timeline of the investigation into Perry’s death, including penalties for some of those who played a role in Perry’s death:

September 30, 2023

According to court documents obtained US Weekly In August 2024, “after learning” that Perry was “interested in obtaining ketamine,” Plasencia allegedly contacted Chavez to purchase the drug “so that he could sell the ketamine to” the actor. The documents also allege that Plasencia texted Chavez, “I wonder how much this idiot would pay” for the substance.

After Chavez sold Plasencia, a licensed physician, “at least four vials of liquid ketamine, ketamine lozenges,” syringes and gloves, the doctor claimed that Plasencia left the drugs with Perry’s former personal assistant Iwamasa and taught him how to inject ketamine so that he could inject Perry with ketamine.

October 2, 2023

Iwa was texting Plasencia requesting for more vials of ketamine.

That same day, Plasencia texted Chavez asking for more ketamine to sell to Perry.

October 8-10, 2023

Plasencia sold numerous vials of ketamine to Yanzheng and met with him and Perry at multiple locations, including Long Beach, California, where Plasencia allegedly injected them with the substance while Perry drove.

The documents also state that on Oct. 10, Iwazheng contacted Fleming to purchase more vials of ketamine. Fleming then texted Sanga, also known as the “Ketamine Queen,” to obtain the drugs.

October 14, 2023

After allegedly delivering ketamine samples to Iwamasa and Perry at Perry’s residence the day before, Fleming allegedly drove to Perry’s home to obtain funds to purchase drugs. Fleming then drove to Sangha’s “storage room” and bought 25 bottles. He then drove back to Perry’s home and delivered the medication, according to the doctor.

October 23, 2023

Iwazheng texted Fleming asking for more ketamine, allegedly asking via text: “Can we do what we did last time in the next two days?”

Fleming then went to Perry’s home to collect cash from Iwamasa.

October 24, 2023

Fleming allegedly purchased 25 more vials of ketamine from Sangha, then drove back to Perry’s home and handed the drugs to Perry.

October 25-27, 2023

Court documents say Iwamasa injected Perry with ketamine “at least six times” on Oct. 25, Oct. 26 and Oct. 27.

October 28, 2023

Perry was found unresponsive in a hot tub at his Los Angeles home. He was pronounced dead later that day.

in the files obtained usIwamasa allegedly injected Perry with “multiple doses of ketamine” obtained from Fleming and Sanga, “resulting in the late actor’s death and serious bodily injury.” The doctor also claimed Plasencia provided the syringe.

That same day, Sanga instructed Fleming “not to sell ketamine to Perry,” including deleting digital evidence from his phone.

October 30, 2023

Fleming allegedly texted Sanga asking how long ketamine would stay in someone’s system because Perry would be “screened for toxins for three months.”

December 2023

The Los Angeles County Medical Examiner’s Office released a toxicology report concluding that Perry died from “the acute effects of ketamine.” The actor’s death was ruled an accident, with drowning, coronary artery disease and the effects of buprenorphine (used to treat opioid use) listed as contributing factors.

May 2024

The Los Angeles Police Department confirmed it has launched an investigation into Perry’s death, focusing specifically on how the ketamine found in Perry’s system was obtained when he died.

August 15, 2024

The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Central District of California shared Press release Announce Dr. Salvador Placenciamedical practitioners, and Jaswan SanghaAlso known as the “Ketamine Queen,” an alleged drug dealer was arrested on August 15 in connection with Perry’s death. Plasencia and Sangha were both charged with one count of conspiracy to distribute ketamine.

Sangha is also charged with one count of maintaining a drug-related premises, one count of possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine, one count of possession with intent to distribute ketamine and five counts of distribution of ketamine; Placencia is also charged with seven counts of distribution of ketamine and two counts of tampering with and falsifying documents or records related to a federal investigation.

The release also named three other people who have been separately charged in Perry’s death: his acquaintance Fleming Iwazheng and another doctor, Dr. Chavez.

Fleming pleaded guilty on Aug. 8 to one count of conspiracy to distribute ketamine and one count of distributing ketamine causing death. Fleming admitted in court documents that he distributed the ketamine that killed Perry, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Central District of California.

Iwamasa pleaded guilty on Aug. 7 to one count of conspiracy to distribute ketamine causing death and admitted to injecting Perry with ketamine multiple times without medical training, including on the day of his death. Chavez has agreed to plead guilty to one count of conspiracy to distribute ketamine.

United States Attorney Martin Estrada “These defendants were more concerned with profiting from Mr. Perry than with his well-being. Drug dealers who sell dangerous substances gamble with the lives of others out of greed. This case, along with our many other prosecutions of drug dealers who cause death, sends a clear message that we will hold drug dealers accountable for the deaths they cause,” it said in a statement.

August 30, 2024

Chavez, one of the doctors arrested in connection with Perry’s death, reportedly appeared in a Los Angeles court on Friday, August 30, after reaching an agreement to plead guilty and cooperate with prosecutors. Associated Press. (Although he agreed to plead guilty, he did not enter a plea during his court appearance and will do so at a later date.)

“He is extremely remorseful,” Chavez’s lawyer said. Matthew Binninger The doctor who agreed to surrender his medical license stood beside him. “He’s doing everything he can to right the wrong that happened here. He didn’t take responsibility today just because it wasn’t on the schedule. He’s doing everything he can to cooperate and help resolve the situation.”

June 16, 2025

Plasencia reached a plea agreement with the Department of Justice and faces up to 40 years in prison. deadline the report said.

The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Central District of California said in a plea agreement that “at the earliest opportunity requested by the USAO and provided by the court, a guilty plea was entered into Counts 6, 8, 9 and 10 of the first superseding indictment in United States v. Salvador Placencia, each charging the defendant with distributing ketamine.”

As part of the agreement, the Department of Justice intends to “Recommend to the judge that the applicable Sentencing Guidelines offense level be reduced by two levels. The recommendation could reduce Plasencia’s sentence by several years.

Chavez and Iwazheng, meanwhile, have previously pleaded guilty and are expected to be sentenced in the fall of 2025.

July 23, 2025

A month after Plasencia reached his plea deal, he plead guilty Four counts of distribution of ketamine.

“Dr. Plasencia deeply regrets the treatment decisions he made in providing ketamine to Matthew Perry,” Plasencia’s attorney said. Karen Goldsteinsaid in a statement to ABC News. “He pleaded guilty to drug trafficking and took full responsibility.”

Plasencia will remain free on bail until sentencing on December 3, 2025. He faces up to 40 years in prison. In addition to the conviction, Plasencia will also give up his medical license. Plasencia admitted he “failed to protect” Perry, according to his attorney.

The statement continued: “While Dr. Placencia was not treating Mr. Perry at the time of his death, he hopes his case will serve as a warning to other medical professionals and bring tighter oversight and clear protocols to the rapidly growing home ketamine industry to prevent similar tragedies in the future.”

September 3, 2025

Sanga pleaded guilty to five federal charges related to Perry’s death, the Associated Press reported. She was charged with three counts of distribution of ketamine, one count of distribution of ketamine resulting in death and one count of maintaining a drug-involved premises. Her sentencing is scheduled for December 10.

December 3, 2025

According to the court verdict, Plasencia was sentenced to 30 months in prison, which is nearly two and a half years in prison. Los Angeles Times. The doctor will also serve two years of supervised release after his release from prison.

April 8, 2026

Jasveen Sangha, also known as the “Ketamine Queen,” pleaded guilty to selling ketamine to Matthew Perry in 2023, resulting in his death, and a federal judge sentenced her to 15 years in prison.

“None of these were mistakes,” Sanga told the judge, according to Associated Press. “These are terrible decisions that have disrupted people’s lives and their families and friends.”

Before the Sangha’s sentencing, Matthew’s stepmother, Debbie Perrysubmitted a victim impact letter to the court.

“The pain you have caused hundreds, if not thousands, of people is irreversible,” she wrote in a letter. statement obtained go through US Weekly. “There’s no joy to be found, there’s no light outside the window. They’re not coming back. That thought is in our minds every day.”

Matthew’s stepfather, date line reporter Keith Morrisonalso told the judge that he and Matthew’s mother, Susan Perryexperiencing “everyday, grinding sadness and grief.”

“There’s a spark in this guy that I’ve never seen anywhere else,” Morrison said, according to the Associated Press. “He deserves one more act. Two more acts.”

May 13, 2026

Fleming was sentenced to two years in prison, according to multiple media reports.