death of friend star Matthew Perry Questions continue to arise, especially following new developments regarding doctors. Salvador Placencia. After being convicted of illegally distributing ketamine, Plasencia’s actions leading up to Perry’s death have been the subject of close scrutiny.
Below, learn more about what happened to Perry and the role doctors played in this incident.
How did Matthew Perry die?
Perry was found dead, face down, in the hot tub of her Los Angeles home on October 28, 2023. An autopsy concluded that the cause of death was “the acute effects of ketamine.”
Drowning, coronary artery disease, and the presence of buprenorphine (a drug used to treat opioid addiction) have been cited as contributing factors, but the primary cause of death was the effects of ketamine, including respiratory depression and cardiovascular hyperstimulation. The official cause of death was determined to be accidental.
How long has Dr. Salvador Plasencia been a doctor?
Placencia operated a clinic in the Los Angeles area (Santa Monica/Calabasas area) and supplied Perry with ketamine in the weeks leading up to the actor’s death. By the time Placencia was sentenced, he had surrendered his license to prescribe controlled substances, effectively losing his ability to lawfully practice medicine in that capacity.
Because the report focused on his misconduct, it was not stated how many years he had been practicing before the criminal case, only that he held a medical license until recently.
Will Dr. Salvador Plasencia go to jail?
yes. On December 3, 2025, a federal court sentenced Dr. Salvador Plasencia to 30 months (2 1/2 years) in federal prison for illegally distributing ketamine to Perry prior to his overdose death. He pleaded guilty in July 2025 to four felony counts of distributing ketamine, a plea that came as part of a broader investigation into Perry’s death. The court also imposed a fine and ordered supervised release after the prison term.
Prosecutors acknowledged that Plasencia did so, but do not have After revealing the exact dose that caused Perry’s death, the judge ruled that his actions “facilitated” his addiction and contributed to the chain of events that led to his overdose.
