Matthew Perry’s assistant Kenneth Iwamasa has admitted to injecting him with the fatal dose of ketamine last October. He had worked for the ‘Friends’ actor for more than 25 years.
Five people have been arrested in connection with the sudden death of Matthew Perry , including longtime assistant Kenneth Iwamasa, 59.
Kenneth Iwamasa lived with the late actor in his home in Los Angeles, USA. The 59-year-old man was the one who discovered Matthew dead and lying face down in a hot tub at his home in October last year.
An autopsy later revealed that the Friends actor had a ketamine blood level of 3.54 micrograms per milliliter. The star’s cause of death was confirmed to be acute ketamine intoxication, with other contributing factors including drowning, coronary artery disease, and buprenorphine (an opioid).
Kenneth admitted to injecting Matthew with ketamine multiple times despite having no medical training, including multiple injections on the day of his death, the Justice Department said in a press release. Kenneth pleaded guilty on Aug. 7 to conspiracy to distribute ketamine causing death and faces up to 15 years in prison when convicted in the federal case
Kenneth said he has worked for Matthew for more than 25 years. “I thrive in chaotic situations that require order. I am discreet, loyal and respect absolute confidentiality,” Kenneth wrote in his LinkedIn profile
Earlier in a press conference, US federal prosecutor Martin Estrada said Matthew Perry relapsed into drug addiction last fall. Five people were arrested for taking advantage of this for their own benefit.
In addition to Kenneth, authorities have charged and arrested street drug dealer Erik Fleming, “ketamine queen” Jasveen Sangha, and two doctors, Mark Chavez and Salvador Plasencia, according to the NY Post .
Mark sold ketamine to Salvador. The emergency room doctor worked with Kenneth, who lived with the Friends star in his Los Angeles home. Over a period of about two months, the longtime assistant supplied the 6X star with about 20 vials of ketamine.
Law enforcement obtained text messages from Salvador that showed the 17 Again star’s motives and disregard for life, including: “I wonder how much this idiot will pay?”, “Let’s see”…
According to Page Six , a medical expert says ketamine is safe when used by trained medical professionals to treat depression or post-traumatic stress disorder .
The 60-year-old star, who has long struggled with addiction, appears to have found solace in the treatment. But he’s so obsessed with ketamine that he’s set up a business to sell it. His 59-year-old assistant has been supplying him with the amount of ketamine he wants. “You can’t do that with an addict, it’s horrible,” a friend of Matthew’s told Page Six.
Following the latest allegations, Matthew’s stepfather Keith Morrison spoke out on behalf of the family, saying: “We were and continue to be devastated by Matthew’s death, but we take comfort in knowing that law enforcement took his case very seriously. We look forward to seeing justice done.”
