SEDONA, AZ – A third person has died after being overcome at a Sedona-area sweat lodge retreat last week.
According to a Yavapai County Sheriff's Office news release, Lizbeth Neuman, 49, died at the Flagstaff Medical Center Saturday afternoon.
They say no other participants remain hospitalized.
Meanwhile officials are still looking into the deaths of two other people at the retreat, calling their investigation a homicide investigation.
Yavapai County Sheriff Steve Waugh said at a Thursday news conference that the deaths were not accidental.
"A combination of circumstances led to the deaths," Waugh said. "Whether or not we can prove a criminal case, that has yet to be determined."
Waugh said detectives served a search warrant on retreat sponsor James Arthur Ray's offices in California where they seized documents on past participants' medical information and searched for any information on the construction of sweat lodges.
Investigators have also been in contact with past participants to see if they were advised of the risks involved in the "Spiritual Warrior" course.
Earlier this week, Angel Valley Retreat center owners Michael and Amayra Hamilton said in a written release that they called 911 after the the incident and were asking for prayers for the victims who were killed and are recovering.
"We ask to pray that something positive will come out of this," they said.
They also said they performed a prayer and meditation on the sweat lodge site James Ray rented for his "Spiritual Warrior" retreat.
Ray declined to be interviewed by the sheriff's office on the night of the incident and has yet to speak with Arizona authorities. He posted a statement on his website on Sunday.
His friend and colleague, John Asseraf said he understands why.
"We're ultimately responsible, OK, for what occurs in the environment that we're bringing people into," said Asseraf.
In all, the Yavapai County Sherriff's Office said up to 65 people were crammed inside the sweat lodge last week for upwards of two hours.
It was all part of a spiritual cleansing that turned deadly for two people; two others remain hospitalized.
Officials said they were waiting for autopsy results, but were also waiting for lab results for potentially hazardous fumes that may have come from a long list of items from the sweat lodge's framework including tarps, soil, blankets, boulders and the sandalwood incense.
"There are some snake in the oil salespeople out there, but the majority of the people, James being one of them, really has the love and the intention and the care of other people," said Assaraf.
But one of the victims families said if that's true, why has he not taken any responsibility for the retreat investigators said netted him $500,000.
"I think he's (looking) for answers as well," said Assaraf, "And will he take responsibility? I hope he does, I think he will knowing his character."
Ray has posted several tweets on his twitter account since the deadly retreat and spoke at an event in Del Mar, California Wednesday night.
PRESS RELEASE October 13, 2009
BY MICHAEL AND AMAYRA HAMILTON,
Angel Valley Sedona
A tragic and unexpected accident took place at Angel Valley on Thursday afternoon, October 8 during a sweat session under the direction and control of facilitator James Ray, who rented our facility for his Spiritual Warrior Retreat.
We express our deepest feelings of sympathy, love and support for the families and friends of those who passed on and for those who are still recovering.
We want to thank all the many people who have sent us tokens of their love and who have offered their support. Many prayer circles have been created to pray for all involved.
We want to express our sincerest feelings towards the Native American Community for this having taken place on the sacred land that we are the stewards of. We have been offered assistance by Native American friends to heal the land, which we have accepted with gratitude. We also know that an initiative has been taken among those who lead sweat lodges in the authentic way, to get together and review how incidents like this can be avoided in the future. We feel the pain of the Native American Community.
Our Angel Valley team is in pain and grief by what has occurred. Since Thursday evening we have been attending to the needs of those involved in the accident along with their family and friends. We drove to the hospital to pick up people after they were released, we collected their belongings and were in contact with family members.
From the moment we dialed 911, minutes after people were brought out of the sweat lodge, we have done the best we could to assist and provide the space for the paramedics and the police to do their work. We want to thank both departments for the gracious and thorough way they went about performing their tasks.
We are being inundated by the media and we understand their need to report the News. Yet, we felt that it was our priority to take care of the participants of the retreat as well as our own staff. We told everybody that we will speak, but asked to give us some space to tend to our priorities.
Saturday October 10, after the police had released the site of the accident, we performed a ceremony in prayer and meditation on the sweat lodge site, together with those participants of the retreat that were still around and our staff, finalized by a prayer song by a Native American Elder. Our ceremony was our attempt to come to terms with what had happened,
We prayed for Kirby Brown and James Shore and their families, for all others involved who need support, either physically or emotionally, for the Native American people and their tradition, for all those who struggle with what took place and for our own healing.
We laid a heart in stones as a memorial to Kirby and James.
We ask all who see this to send your prayers and love to all involved and affected.
We ask to help transform anger and judgment.
We ask to pray that something positive will come out of this.
Michael and Amayra Hamilton,
Co-founders of Angel Valley Spiritual Retreat Center and owners of the land.
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