MATTHEW Perry’s parents have ripped the “jackal” doctor who broke his “most important vows” by supplying their son with ketamine when his addiction spiraled out of control.
The grieving parents voiced their emotional frustrations towards Salvador Plasencia in victim impact statements obtained by The U.S. Sun ahead of the disgraced doctor’s sentencing on Wednesday.
Plasencia, who pleaded guilty ahead of his trial to four counts of illegal distribution of the prescription anesthetic ketamine, is set to be the first of five people to be sentenced in connection with Perry’s overdose in October 2023.
Keith Morrison, Perry’s stepfather, conveyed the emotional toll the actor’s mother, Suzanne, has continued to endure since her son’s death more than two years ago.
“Many people, mothers mostly, have told me over the years how things like that breaks you, makes you feel broken,” the parents wrote in their victim impact statement.
“And I didn’t quite get what that meant until I watched what this thing did to Matthew’s mother. Still does, two years on. It’s a deep well, can’t see the bottom yet.”
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The parents slammed Plasencia and the other defendants as “greedy jackals.”
“I believe the man you are going to sentence today is among the most culpable of all. His crime I find truly hard to understand,” the parents’ statement read.
Perry’s parents criticized Plasencia for repeatedly breaking his most important vows when he “fed on the vulnerability” of their son, 54.
“Sometimes it’s a little easier to understand when a person commits a terrible crime,” Suzanne and Keith wrote.
“Maybe in the heat of passion, or because that person makes one very bad decision.. or some drug dealer, bad to the bone, who takes the calculated risk of getting caught and spending many years in prison.
“But… a doctor? Who trades on respect, and trust? And not just one bad decision.. No one alive and in touch with the world at all could have been unaware of Matthew’s struggles.
“But this doctor conspired to break his most important vows, repeatedly, sneaked through the night to meet his victim in secret.
“For what, a few thousand dollars? So he could feed on the vulnerability of our son…and crow, as he did so, with that revealing question: ‘I wonder how much this moron will pay. Let’s find out.’”
Perry’s stepmom, Debbie, whose victim impact statement was on behalf of herself and the actor’s father, John, condemned Plasencia’s action, saying their son’s recovery counted on the defendant “saying no.”
“Your motives? I can’t imagine,” Debbie and John wrote.
“A doctor whose life is devoted to helping people? Whatever were you thinking? How long did you possibly see supplying Matthew countless doses without his death to eventually follow?
“Did you care? Did you think? How many more people have you harmed that we don’t know about?”
The parents lamented that Plasencia devastated the family and contributed to the loss their only son.
Five defendants charged with Matthew Perry’s death
In August 2024, prosecutors announced federal charges against five people in connection with Matthew Perry’s overdose.
Here are the five individuals allegedly behind Perry’s ketamine crisis:
- “Ketamine Queen of Los Angeles” Jasveen Sangha: Sangha is a 42-year-old drug dealer who allegedly helped sell the ketamine that killed Perry, according to the Los Angeles District Attorney’s Office. In 2019, Sangha sold ketamine to another victim hours before he died, prosecutors say. After hearing of his death, she allegedly searched “can ketamine be listed as a cause of death,” on Google. She faces a maximum sentence of life in prison if convicted of all charges.
- “Dr. P” Dr. Salvador Plasencia: Plasencia, 43, allegedly learned that Perry was seeking ketamine, and obtained doses from a dirty doctor. Speaking to the doctor over text, he allegedly said, “I wonder how much this moron will pay.” Plasencia taught unlicensed people associated with Perry how to inject ketamine, and even personally injected it at times, prosecutors say. Perry’s assistant, who was taught by Plasencia, administered the fatal dose on October 28, 2023. Plasencia is facing nine charges stemming from the death.
- Kenneth Iwamasa: Iwamasa, 60, was Perry’s live-in assistant who was allegedly taught how to inject ketamine by Dr. Plasencia, according to prosecutors. He also corresponded with dealers to organize the sale and delivery of the drug. He admitted to injecting Perry multiple times on the day of his death in a guilty plea.
- Eric Fleming: Fleming, 55, is a dealer who helped to coordinate drug sales to Sangha before they ultimately made it to Perry. He corresponded with Iwamasa when ketamine was on its way to their home. 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. Plasencia by writing fraudulent prescriptions. He also coordinated with Iwamasa to get the 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.
‘DR. P’
Federal investigators said Plasencia and Mark Chavez – a former physician in San Diego, who is also scheduled to be sentenced to on December 17 – coordinated with Kenneth Iwamasa, Perry’s personal live-in assistant, to distribute the drugs to the actor.
Martin Estrada, the US attorney for the Central District of California, said Perry fell back into addiction during the fall of 2023.
“These defendants took advantage to profit for themselves,” Estrada said at the time.
On September 30, 2023, Plasencia and Chavez discussed purchasing ketamine so they could sell it to Perry, according to a federal indictment.
In a text message, prosecutors said Plasencia and Chavez discussed how much they were going to charge Perry, writing, “I wonder how much this moron will pay” and “Let’s find out.”
Estrada said that between September and October 2023, Plasencia, Chavez, and Iwamasa, who is scheduled to be sentenced on January 14, distributed approximately 20 vials of ketamine to Perry for $55,000 in cash.
Prosecutors said Plasencia saw it as an opportunity to profit off of Perry, “He also stated in text messages that he wanted to be Mr. Perry’s sole source of supply for drugs.”
“As a doctor defendant Plasencia knew full well the danger of what he was doing,” Estada added.
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