Wealth guru James Arthur Ray charged with manslaughter in three Arizona sweat lodge deaths
Self-help guru James Arthur Ray, who emphasized achieving wealth in every aspect of life, was arrested late Wednesday on manslaughter charges for three deaths that occurred in a sweat lodge retreat October 8, 2009.
Kirby Brown, James Shore, and Liz Neuman lost their lives during a special two-hour ceremony, the highlight of the five-day “Spiritual Warrior” retreat held at Angel Valley Retreat Center in Sedona, Arizona. Participants paid $9,000 to attend the retreat. During the sweat lodge activity, which took place in a 415 sq. foot space, many people began feeling ill and vomiting, but Ray encouraged participants to stay in the lodge rather than seek help outside. One survivor quoted Ray as saying “You are not going to die. You might think you are, but you are not going to die.”
Three people did die, and 18 others were hospitalized after the event, but throughout the investigation Ray has maintained that he is 100% innocent. His lawyer Luis Li told the AP after Ray’s February 3 arrest, “This was a terrible accident, but it was an accident, not a criminal act.”
Ray’s bond is currently set at $5 million.
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