More than a year after a woman was found dead in a Miami wellness retreat, the doctor who ran a toxic ceremony has been charged with manslaughter.
Dr. Samuel Lee, 44, was arrested and charged with manslaughter over the “heart protocol” ceremony he performed on 51-year-old Tina Sodhi, according to Dailymail.
Sodhi, a yoga teacher and finance professional, had traveled to Sabia Wellness House, a holistic wellness centre in Miami Beach, to participate in Lee’s “heart protocol,” a ceremony he promoted as a way to connect with their ‘higher self’.
According to the report, which cited court records, Sodhi had paid a $2,000 fee to participate in the ceremony, which administered GABA supplements alongside ketamine, MDMA, and DMT, and acknowledged the risks of the substances involved.
In the days leading up to the ceremony, Sodhi had received instructions to complete a gastrointestinal cleanse and was told, “a clean gut would equal a potentially deeper ceremony.”
According to the warrant, she also received several pictures and videos beforehand describing ketamine treatment’s “ceremonial aspect” and as having a “clarogenic,” rather than hallucinogenic effect, due to “the clarity that they bring.”
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Sodhi was found dead in the wellness retreat’s rooftop sauna on February 10, 2025, after emergency responders arrived at the location. Officers reportedly found Lee performing CPR on her.
The Miami-Dade Medical Examiner later determined the cause of death: drugs, parasite cleanser, and sauna treatment that led to extreme dehydration.
Lee, a self-described “holistic, integrative psychiatrist,” told an officer that he didn’t perform the ceremony under his medical license. His license, which is currently expired in Florida, has been temporarily suspended by the Texas Medical Board following Sodhi’s death.
According to reports, Lee pleaded not guilty to the charge and has requested a jury trial.
Sodhi is survived by her family and friends, who described her as a “lovely, talented, visionary, and kind person.”
“Tina was the definition of a devoted daughter, loving sister, a cherished aunt and an “auntie” to so many of her friends’ children,” a friend wrote on Instagram. “She loved deeply and was adored by everyone who had the privilege of knowing her.”
Another wrote, “A friend in adventure, spirituality, growth, life appreciation, laughter and breathing through “letting things go…” your void is felt. Thank you for being there for me as I jumped into the unknown in Dec 2003. Your energy will keep vibrating for all of us.”
Disclaimer: The Inquisitr could not independently confirm all facts of this incident and is reporting based on the information available within the public record.
