US Doctor Charged With Manslaughter Over Death at Unregulated MDMA–Ketamine Retreat

A Miami Beach doctor has been charged with manslaughter over the death of a woman during an unregulated retreat ceremony involving MDMA and ketamine — a case now circulating widely in the psychedelic industry press, and a sobering illustration of why this site asks the vetting questions it does.

What happened

According to reporting by CBS Miami and Local 10, Dr Samuel Lee, 44, was arrested in mid-July 2026 and charged with second-degree felony manslaughter over the death of 51-year-old Tina Sodhi. Ms Sodhi was found unresponsive in a rooftop sauna at a Miami Beach wellness house in February 2025, during what court records describe as a “Heart Protocol” ceremony in which participants were administered a GABA agonist, MDMA and ketamine. Participation reportedly cost US$2,000.

The medical examiner found Ms Sodhi died of severe dehydration and dangerously low sodium caused by the combination of MDMA, ketamine, prolonged heat exposure in the sauna, and a “cleansing” regimen performed before the ceremony. An independent physician consulted by police concluded, per CBS Miami, that Lee’s conduct “reflects an extreme and unjustifiable deviation from accepted safety and clinical practices.”

Lee has pleaded not guilty and requested a jury trial; the charge is an allegation and has not been tested in court. Local 10 reports that Lee described himself as an “elder” of a group called the Eternal Life Tribe, and that his Texas medical licence has been temporarily suspended, with the medical board describing his practice as a threat to public welfare. The venue’s operator has not been charged.

Why this matters for Australians

Nothing about this ceremony resembled a regulated clinical setting or a lawfully operating retreat. That distinction is the whole story. In Australia, MDMA and psilocybin are accessible only through psychiatrists individually authorised by the TGA, under structured clinical protocols — and “psychedelic retreats” involving these substances remain illegal here. Overseas, legal retreats exist only in specific jurisdictions and substances, and the safety practices of individual operators vary enormously.

The case underlines the questions worth asking of any retreat, anywhere: who is medically screening participants, and for what? What substances are involved, at what doses, and are they legal where the retreat is held? What is the emergency protocol, and who on site is qualified to execute it? Combining psychoactive substances with saunas, fasting or “cleansing” regimens raises physiological risks that reporting on this case makes tragically concrete.

Our safety and screening guide covers these questions in detail.

If this story raises concerns about your own mental health, Lifeline is available 24/7 on 13 11 14. This article is news reporting, not medical or legal advice.