Death of Colts owner Jim Irsay now under federal investigation: Sources

getty_jimirsay_012326981156
Indianapolis Colts owner Jim Irsay on the field before the preseason game against the Cleveland Browns at Lucas Oil Stadium on August 17, 2019 in Indianapolis, Indiana. (Justin Casterline/Getty Images)

(NEW YORK) — The death of Indianapolis Colts owner Jim Irsay is now under federal investigation, law enforcement sources told ABC News.

The FBI and the DEA are investigating the 65-year-old Irsay’s death in May at the Beverly Hills Hotel along with the California addiction specialist who had been treating him with opioids and ketamine, the sources said.

Dr. Harry Haroutunian signed the death certificate that said the cause was cardiac arrest due to pneumonia, according to a copy of the document obtained by ABC News. There was no autopsy, the certificate said.

Haroutunian did not respond to an ABC News request for comment.

The FBI declined to confirm or deny the investigation, which was first reported by the Washington Post.

Irsay was the billionaire owner of the Colts for nearly 30 years, celebrating a Super Bowl victory with Peyton Manning in 2007. He was open about his life-long struggle with addiction.

“We are aware of the investigation, but at this time, we’ve not been contacted by the FBI or been served with any subpoenas,” the Colts said in a statement provided to ABC News.

The use of ketamine to treat addiction was the subject of an investigation into the 2023 death of Matthew Perry. Five people ended up facing criminal charges in the Perry case with one doctor being sentenced to 30 months in federal prison for distributing ketamine to the actor.

The investigation into Irsay’s death is in its early stages, the sources said.

Copyright © 2026, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.