Very little verified public information exists about the early life of Heather Trinee Lee, and unlike many high‑profile offenders, she was not widely documented before her involvement in the murder of 19‑year‑old Audreanna “Audi” Zimmerman. Lee lived in Florida and was part of a troubled social circle that included Tina Lasonya Brown and Britnee Angelique Miller. The three women spent considerable time together in the months before the murder, and their relationship dynamics later became central to understanding how the crime unfolded and why.

Court proceedings and testimony suggest that Lee was easily influenced by the dominant personalities around her, especially Tina Brown, who was significantly older and perceived by many as the controlling force within the group. While Lee was not known to have an extensive criminal history prior to the murder, witnesses later described her as someone who often followed the direction of stronger, more forceful individuals.

Lee’s life before the crime reflected financial instability, strained family relationships, and immersion in an environment marked by conflict and dysfunction. These circumstances framed the context in which she became involved in a violent group assault that escalated into a murder. When the case reached trial, much of the attention turned not to Lee’s background but to the degree of her participation and her willingness to cooperate with the state in exchange for leniency.

On March 24, 2010, Heather Lee joined Tina Brown and Britnee Miller in a premeditated assault that would end the life of Audreanna Zimmerman. That afternoon, under the pretense of reconciliation, Brown invited Zimmerman to her trailer. Once inside, Lee participated alongside Brown and Miller in physically attacking Zimmerman. She helped beat Zimmerman with fists and likely assisted in subduing her as Brown wielded a crowbar and a stun gun.

After the brutal beating, Lee assisted in forcing Zimmerman into Brown’s vehicle. They drove her to a secluded wooded area nearby. Once there, Lee stood by while Brown poured gasoline over Zimmerman. In a final, horrific act, Brown set Zimmerman on fire while she was still alive. Though Lee did not strike the match herself, she was fully complicit in the abduction and the escalation to murder.

Miraculously, Zimmerman survived long enough to stumble to a nearby residence, where she managed to identify her attackers before being rushed to the hospital. With burns covering 60% of her body, Zimmerman clung to life for 16 days before succumbing to her injuries on April 9, 2010.

The three women were arrested and charged with first-degree premeditated murder. As the prosecution prepared for trial, Lee decided to cooperate in exchange for leniency. On November 3, 2011, she reached a plea agreement: she pled guilty to second-degree murder, agreed to testify against Brown and Miller, and in return, prosecutors dropped the kidnapping charge and removed the death penalty from consideration.

On July 20, 2012, Heather Lee was sentenced to 25 years in prison. Her cooperation was critical in securing convictions against the others. She began serving her sentence at Gadsden Correctional Facility, with a projected release date of September 2, 2031. As of 2025, Lee remains incarcerated, reflecting on the devastating crime that ended a young woman’s life and forever marked her own.