MIAMI (Court TV) — A doctor is facing manslaughter charges after a woman in his care died during a “heart protocol” ceremony during which he allegedly administered illegal drugs.
Dr. Samuel Lee appears in a video on his website promoting the ‘Eternal Life Tribe.’ (SamuelBLeeMD.com)
Dr. Samuel Lee, 44, has pleaded not guilty to a charge of manslaughter in the death of Tina Sodhi, 51, who died more than a year ago while participating in a program run by the defendant.
Paramedics and police found Sodhi lifeless and unresponsive in a sauna on Feb. 10, 2025, after responding to a call for help at a property describing itself as a “holistic wellness retreat space” in Miami Beach. Investigators learned that the victim was there, along with one other person, as participants in a program run by Lee.
Lee spoke to officers at the scene, where he described himself as a licensed physician and “an ‘Elder’ of the Eternal Life Tribe.” He said that he had been administering the “heart protocol,” which he described as a “treatment, holistic in nature, that consists of [Lee] administering/facilitating a GABA agonist, pure MDMA and ketamine.” Lee further “advised that this treatment was a sacred sacrament of the church and not performed under his medical license.”
A second participant of the “heart protocol” told officers that he signed a liability waiver to participate and described the program, saying that he took one or two pills, not knowing what they were, and received multiple ketamine “microdose” injections into his arm. A search of the victim’s phone revealed she had paid a $2,000 fee to participate and signed a waiver “stating her participating was voluntary, and further acknowledged the potential side effects and risks of ‘plant-based and Western psychedelic formulations,’ and her agreement to waive liability of the ceremony facilitators,” police said.
In a video sent to the victim days before the “heart protocol,” Lee “claims the ketamine treatments have a novel ‘ceremonial aspect’ and a ‘clarogenic’ rather than hallucinogenic impact due to the clarity that they bring,” police said. Lee “mentions the use of an over-the-counter GABA supplement to ‘relax the brain,’ three onboarding dosages of ‘heart medicine’ to increase serotonin and dopamine production and ‘open the heart,’ and an intramuscular injection of ketamine once the ‘heart medicine is peaking.’ [Lee] explains that the benefits of this 4-6 hour treatment include relief from depression, anxiety, suicidal ideation, addiction and stress-related past traumas.” To prepare for the experience, Lee told her she needed to do a “gastrointestinal/parasite cleanse” and reiterated the importance, saying “clean gut = potentially deeper ceremony.”
A medical examiner determined that Sodhi’s cause of death was hyponatremic dehydration due to confinement in a sauna, combined with use of MDMA and ketamine; the doctor noted that the liquid parasite cleanse and heat from the sauna amplified the effect of the illegal substances in the victim’s body.
On his website, Lee describes himself as the “Spiritual Psychiatrist” who is “pioneering a new paradigm of health, consciousness and freedom, where science and the soul finally work together.” The website promotes both the “Eternal Life Tribe” — a program offered for $55 per month — and future “heart protocol” retreats. On the site, the “three-day journey” does not mention MDMA or ketamine, but rather references “400mg NAD IV Therapy for cellular regeneration,” “additional IV nutrient therapies,” and “customized supplement protocol” alongside the “Heart Protocol Ceremony.”
While Lee is charged in Florida, his license to practice medicine has been suspended in Texas. Documents filed in that state revealed concern from the licensing board that Lee’s website continues to promote him as board-certified in psychiatry and the founder of multiple groups, including “Transcendence Mental Health,” “Limitless Living MD.” The board also noted that multiple businesses continue to promote the “heart protocol” ceremony, despite the victim’s death.
Lee was released on a $50,000 bond after his arrest; he is due to return to court on Thursday as prosecutors seek to have him remain jailed until his trial.
