In brief
- Dr. Samuel Lee, 44, has pleaded not guilty to manslaughter and requested a jury trial regarding the February 2025 death of Tina Sodhi during a three-day, $2,000 retreat in Miami Beach.
- According to CBS and NBC quoting case documents, the protocol involved ketamine and MDMA; the outlets attribute a finding on combined substances, preparation and sauna to the medical examiner. The original autopsy was not reviewed.
- Substances and circumstances can jointly contribute to risk. These reports neither exonerate particular molecules nor establish guilt: Lee pleaded not guilty and no judgment was verified.
In July 2026 CBS and NBC reported charges against Samuel Lee over Tina Sodhi’s February 10, 2025 death during a Sabia Wellness retreat. Lee pleaded not guilty and requested a jury trial; a request establishes neither commencement of trial nor conviction.
What happened, according to the investigation
Sodhi had paid $2,000 for a three-day retreat that promised connection with one’s “higher self.” According to court documents obtained by CBS Miami and NBC Miami, she was administered ketamine—a dissociative anesthetic legal in medical settings—and MDMA, which is federally prohibited, during the ceremony. She was found unresponsive in a rooftop sauna; Lee was performing CPR when police arrived, and she was pronounced dead at the scene. According to CBS and NBC quoting case documents, the Miami-Dade medical examiner concluded that she died from severe dehydration triggered by the combination of substances, a “parasite cleanse” regimen she had completed prior to the retreat, and prolonged exposure to sauna heat. An independent medical expert described the setup as an “extreme and unjustifiable deviation from basic clinical safety measures.” Lee, charged on July 14, maintains that the ceremony was a “sacrament” of a church for which he serves as an “elder,” rather than an act of his medical practice; NBC reported on July 17 that a judge barred him from providing medical, psychological or psychiatric care while proceedings remained pending. Later judicial status was not verified here.
The harm reduction perspective
Reports describe combined substances, preparation and heat exposure, according to the documents they quote. This review did not inspect the original autopsy or isolate the contribution of each factor. Clinical oversight and safeguards may reduce risk, but eliminate neither risk nor uncertainty about efficacy. Reported allegations and expert opinions are not a conviction. More information is available in our guides on harm reduction and responsible use and MDMA and empathogens.
Sources
- Doctor charged with manslaughter over a year after woman died during psychedelic retreat in Miami Beach. CBS News Miami.
- Doctor charged after ‘heart protocol’ ceremony kills woman, records show. NBC 6 South Florida.
- Psychedelic Policy Briefing: Week of July 20, 2026. Psychedelics Today, July 20, 2026.
Educational content written from a harm reduction perspective and with respect for individual freedom. It is not a substitute for advice from a healthcare professional and is not intended to encourage or condemn any drug use.
