James Arthur Ray - Angel Valley Resort DeathSweat in Sedona: 3 dead, 20 injured

[oldspirit]

http://www.netherlands-embassy.org/article.asp?articleref=AR00000276EN

http://www.bing.com/maps/default.aspx?encType=1&where1=5090+Brush+Ridge+Ct%2c+Columbus%2c+OH+43228-2228&FORM=MIRE

any one for a road trip
going to report this to her post master, mail fraud

...just so you know... I live two states away from Ohio, yet my oldest son actually lives just about three miles north of this address in an area known as Hillard, Ohio, also the western suburbs of Columbus, right above Marianne van Gulijk, 5090 Brush Ridge Court, Columbus, Ohio 43228...

Here's Marianne's twitter page...

http://twitter.com/sadeydog

Reading it through she does seem to have a need for money.  One of her tweets talks about having her electricity turned off.  She lists her occupation as agricultural and immigration specialist. 

I'd probably keep in mind that there's a possibility she's somewhat innocent.  There's no guarantee she knows who Leonard Crow Dog is and that she might be in contact with someone claiming to be him and needing money.  From her tweets it seems as if her son is dealing with addiction and I can imagine another scenario where he would use her e-mail to attempt to collect money (addiction causes the ultimate crazy types of behavior).  Don't know anything for sure, that's just my imagination running a little, but it all gets figured out by having authorities contact her first and letting her know that her name is all over a fraudulent request for funds in someone else's name and finding out what the whole deal behind it is.

Superdog

superdog ..

your right .. there are many possibilities as the whys and hows of this letter .. .. indeed the letter raised huge red flags for me and i figured that it was a scam .. on the other hand i did stop and think, why would a scam artist place their full name, address and two phone numbers in this letter .. ..

i do believe that we all should check things out as thoroughly as possible .. checking things out was the reason i posted the letter in here .. to see if anyone else had any information about the contents etc .. but that was not the only step i have taken .. in addition to talking to many others in an effort to find out more, i have repeatedly called the two numbers listed for "marianne" .. others that i have been in contact with have also called repeatedly .. the first number takes you directly to a voice mail/answering machine, where messages have been left (politely) asking for a return call .. the second number gives us a message saying that the person is not taking phone calls at this time .. .. i will, of course, let this forum know if any of my calls are returned and i am able to find out "the story" on this letter
i do believe that we all have a moral and ethical responsibility to ferret these sort of scams out and inform people as much as we can about them .. and we do know that NAFPS and it's members do exactly that, with all the (hopefully) unbiased research that we all do on things such as this, among others .. .. 

thanks to all of you for your input on this letter .. i will let you all know if i find out the real story behind it ..

tachia

Now my son, at this point, knows nothing about this forum's thread about any of this and I'm sure if I told him about it... well... he most likely would not wish to contact in person... yet I will talk to him about it to see what he may know or find out... and post back if anything comes of it.   

[educatedindian]

here is something else I just came across that makes me wonder... Anyone know about any of this?

http://eideard.wordpress.com/2009/10/10/two-die-at-arizona-spirit-sweat-lodge/
>Quote from reply message on above website<>>>>The Chumash Indians are the keepers of the western gate for what is known by most as Turtle Island. One of their traditional practioners, Mahiwo, is now in the Sedona area to help with the transition of souls and heal the hearts and emotions in this great atrosophy and for the participants of catastrophy.
Many of the people in the incident have now returned home.
You can contact us at eyeofthesoul@live.com and we will pass a message on to Mahiwo.<End quote<

I'm guessing here, yet I think this is Mahiwo...
http://eyeofthesoul.gaia.com/

Mahiwo Agdeppa
Title: Sustainable Advocate

Gender: Male

Location: California

About Me:

Traditonal Cultural Practitioner for the Dolphin Clan of Chumash Indians whose territorial boundery is from Topanga to Carpenteria California.

My ethnic is Chumash, Cherokee,Apache, Philipino and Irish

Most my life has been dedecated to the traditional medicine of my Chumash Heritage

He's apparently involved in animal rescue and the white bison issue.
http://earthangelsanimalsanctuary.org/blog/entry/54061/we-are-looking-for-a-grant-writer
http://ranchers.net/forum/about9230.html

Also listed as a New Age Contact, though he may not have any say over that.
http://www.djmsoft.no-ip.com/search_contacts.php?pagenumber=11&search_text=&searchfield=interests&match=any&country=Any+Country

My first thought was wondering if he'd been the supposed Native instructor for Ray's scam. But I don't see any sign of that. He may have been asked to go to Sedona because he was perceived as Nuage-friendly.

So I don't think Ray and co ever had a genuine NDN instructor for the sweats. Or if they did he's been in hiding since the deaths.

[Defend the Sacred]

So I don't think Ray and co ever had a genuine NDN instructor for the sweats. Or if they did he's been in hiding since the deaths.

Up-thread I posted the link to that young white guy (Matthew B. James) who seems to have been Ray's "instructor". The white guy seems to be claiming he was trained by that Hawaiian Hula instructor (George Na'ope), who just died: http://www.newagefraud.org/smf/index.php?topic=2380.msg19795#msg19795

Hawaiian sweats? You already sweat plenty in Hawaii, just due to the climate. I don't know much about Hawaiian traditions, but what I do know is *nothing* like Plains-style cosmology or ceremonies.

[Defend the Sacred]

Lakota Nation files lawsuit against parties in sweat lodge incident

"In the aftermath of the tragedy at Angel Valley Retreat Center, where an incompetently conducted “sweat lodge” held by Californian self-help guru James Arthur Ray killed three participants, political steps are being taken by several native people across the United States. ... the Lakota tribe of North and South Dakota has filed a lawsuit against the United States, the state of Arizona, James Arthur Ray and the Angel Valley Retreat Center."

"The lawsuit refers to the Treaty of Fort Laramie between the United States and the Lakota Nation from 1868, which states that “if bad men among the whites or other people subject to the authority of the United States shall commit any wrong upon the person or the property of the Indians, the United States will (...) proceed at once to cause the offender to be arrested and punished according to the laws of the United States, and also reimburse the injured person for the loss sustained.” The plaintiffs hold that James Arthur Ray and the Angel Valley Retreat Center have “violated the peace between the United States and the Lakota Nation” and have caused the “desecration of our Sacred Oinikiga by causing the death of Liz Neuman, Kirby Brown and James Shore”. The lawsuit further holds that James Arthur Ray and the Angel Valley Retreat Center have committed fraud by impersonating Indians and must be held responsible for causing the deaths of the victims and injuries of the survivors, and for the destruction of evidence through the dismantling of the sweat lodge."

Read the full article here: http://www.sedona.biz/lakota-tribe-files-lawsuit-sweat-lodge-incident-sedona111209a.php

Apologies for the crassly commercial ads on the newspaper's website.

The Fort Laramie Treaty was also instrumental in setting a precedent for justice in a rape case this summer: Justice and Honors for Lakota Women.

(Thanks to Heather from Don't Pay to Pray for passing this along. Follow her updates on Twitter.)

[NDN_Outlaw]

He kills their daughter then sends them half a refund in honor of their daughter...ego without end.

NEW YORK (CBS/AP) - James Arthur Ray, the new age guru whose Sedona, Ariz. sweat-lodge ceremony may have caused three deaths, sent one victim's family a check for $5,000, about half the participation fee for the event, the family told CNN's Larry King on Monday night. According to the mother of victim Kirby Brown, the check came in a sympathy card on Oct. 22, two weeks after the Oct. 8 tragedy, along with a note that read, "Please accept this financial assistance. And on the check he (Ray) wrote, 'In honor of Kirby Brown.'"

[critter - a white non-ndn person]

.  

[NDN_Outlaw]

This is the first reference I have found indicating James Ray is being charged with homicide. Did the reporter get it right or is this simply under reported? It would be extremely unlikely he would not be charged with something.

http://www.cbsnews.com/blogs/2009/10/29/crimesider/entry5448060.shtml

Authorities are investigating the Oct. 8 ceremony at Angel Valley Resort near Sedona, Ariz. led by Ray, a motivational speaker. Three participants died and 18 were hospitalized after the event. The deaths have been ruled homicide by local law enforcement.

[NDN_Outlaw]

If you can stomach this I found this bliss bunny response to the Ray Death Lodge. I think it is a good example of the shallow self centered chronic New Age stupidity that minimizes and sugar coats this most blatant and disturbing tragedy.

http://blog.beliefnet.com/angelsonyourshoulder/2009/11/twilight-barbie-dolls-angel-valley-sweat-lodge---some-thoughts.html

[bls926]

This is the first reference I have found indicating James Ray is being charged with homicide. Did the reporter get it right or is this simply under reported? It would be extremely unlikely he would not be charged with something.

http://www.cbsnews.com/blogs/2009/10/29/crimesider/entry5448060.shtml

Authorities are investigating the Oct. 8 ceremony at Angel Valley Resort near Sedona, Ariz. led by Ray, a motivational speaker. Three participants died and 18 were hospitalized after the event. The deaths have been ruled homicide by local law enforcement.

The deaths were ruled homicide early on, but I don't think any arrests have been made yet. Not sure what's taking so long.

[Defend the Sacred]

The deaths were ruled homicide early on, but I don't think any arrests have been made yet. Not sure what's taking so long.

Just because DeathRay isn't locked up yet doesn't mean he's off the hook. These things usually move slowly. It's not like on the TV shows and movies. They need to get their case all lined up before they make the arrest. They have to decide which charges they can get a conviction on, whether they're willing to plea bargain, what's the best they can hope for in sentencing, and then it has to go through the DA and sometimes a Grand Jury.

The cops should have arrested him at the scene, but I think they were too busy taking care of the victims and trying to figure out what happened. The perp took advantage of that. The fact that he fled the scene of the crime has led to him being "free" for longer, but it will work against him in the long run.

[NDN_Outlaw]

From what I understand the investigation would have to be complete before charges are laid. The investigation involves testimony from over one hundred individuals and is likely ongoing. I am wondering if the charges have now been laid and how severe are they. Ray could conceivably raise a defence stating the participants were willing participants and had signed waivers absolving him of any harm resulting from whatever risk they placed themselves in. Ray was able to leave the leave the sick and the dying simply because at that time a crime had not been committed. It is the police investigation which determines if criminal charges are laid. I would be very interested to see both the prosecution and defence arguments when this process comes around as it no doubt will. 

[LittleOldMan]

Believe that they would need to take it to a Grand Jury and get an indictment.  They only meet every so often.  In this case Ray can be located and it would not be in the States best interest to to over play their hand.  "LOM"

[uktena]

I'm not sure that Ray has actually been charged with anything yet, though I haven't been keeping up.  They did rule the deaths a "homicide", meaning that somebody died through the actions of another human, as opposed to accidental death or suicide, and they're certainly investigating him as the one likely responsible.  As others have pointed out, the wheels of justice grind very slowly, and it may take years for anything to come of this.  There was an infamous  home invasion and murder not too far from me that occurred in the summer of 2007.  Two people were arrested at the scene, and arraigned three days later.  All this time, and the trial hasn't even started yet.  You can imagine how much longer it will take for the Ray case,  if they have to do a thorough investigation before they even charge anyone with anything, never mind that Ray is undoubtedly lawyered up to the gills, and can drag the whole matter out for a very long time if he wants to. So watch this turn into about the longest episode of Law and Order you can imagine.

Homicide comes in many forms, incuding negligent homicide, involuntary manslaughter, voluntary manslaughter, and murder.  Even the terms vary from state to state.  I'm guessing the charge will end up being some degree of involuntary manslaughter, since he clearly had no intention of killing anyone.  It depends on state law, too; for instance, in my state, some specific things, like being responsible for the death of a child or a police officer, automatically counts as murder, even if there was no intent to kill, as does an accidental death that occurred while commiting a felony, such as an armed robbery.  For the most part, the difference is that if you kill someone and meant to do it, it's murder; if someone died because of your thoughtless action, it's negligent homicide or involuntary manslaughter; and if someone died through your positive actions (rather than thoughtless ones), but there was no intent to kill, it's voluntary manslaughter.  So my guess is: murder is out, and whether it's negligent homicide or manslaughter depends on whether the grand jury decides whether the deaths were the result of his oblivious stupidity, or  the result of things he did deliberately. I'm rooting for first degree manslaughter myself, but it'll be something less severe unless the state gets a really good prosecutor.  Penalties vary, but manslaughter probably gets somewhere on the order of five to ten years for each count, so at most he's looking at some serious jail time, along with whatever fines the law could impose.  The REAL punishment is going to be from civil action, which could take every penny he has and every penny he makes for the rest of his life.  Prison, schmison, I say, hit him where it will really hurt him!

Last I heard, the people who run the resort were also being investigated.  If the authorities decide they have some responsibility, such as helping to build such an obviously dangerous structure, there are any number of things they could be charged with, but again, it depends on the state laws and what the prosecutors think will stick.

I'm sure Ray  thinks he's got his ass covered with signed waivers, but those things can definitely be challenged if the thing in question is something particularly dangerous. 

Where's Ben Stone when you need him, huh?

[critter - a white non-ndn person]

Hi everyone..    Hope all is well.

Here's something I watched the other night..  good interview and hopefully more people will speak up and that will help to indict the jerk..

http://abcnews.go.com/GMA/james-ray-employee-speaks-sweat-lodge-deaths/story?id=9278092
Former Employee: Ray Did Not Help People Dying in Sweat Lodge
ABC News Exclusive: Former Employee Said the Self-Help Guru Only Watched as People Died
By DAN HARRIS
Dec. 8, 2009 
5 comments Font Size   PrintRSSE-mailShare this story with friendsFacebookTwitterRedditStumbleUponMore
Self-help guru James Arthur Ray did nothing to help the people who had collapsed inside his Sedona, Ariz., sweat lodge two months ago in an incident that killed three people, according to Melinda Martin, a former employee.


Share
Former James Ray employee says the self-help guru refused to stop the ceremony."He came out and he stretched his arms up and everybody hosed him off and he's like, 'Hey thanks!'… and it really stopped me in my tracks. I just stopped, and I said, 'How can you walk out of there with all these people down, and they're, they just looked near death, and you guys can walk out there looking like you just spent the day in the spa,'" Martin said in an exclusive interview with ABC News.

Fire-heated rocks filled the 400-square-foot makeshift tent with steam while more than 60 participants crammed inside while Ray led them in a spiritual ceremony. The guests paid nearly $10,000 to spend the week with Ray at the retreat.

Martin said that while people were being dragged out from the tent in front of him, Ray neither stopped the ceremony nor helped afterward as Martin performed CPR on the dying.

"And I look up, and he's standing right over my head, watching. He's watching from a standing position. He didn't offer to help. He didn't say anything, nothing at all," Martin said, adding that she did not see Ray help anyone.

Several weeks after the deadly event Martin said she stopped receiving pay checks from the company.

Some participants inside have said some people inside were saying "We need water," vomiting and fighting to stay alive.

Kirby Brown, 38; James Shore, 40; and Liz Neuman, 49; died in the incident.

In response to Martin's comments, Ray's company said in a statement to ABC News that Ray tried to help, according to the information the company collected from employees and event participants during its private investigation:

"According to the signed statement of one participant, 'my impression was that James Ray was stunned about what was happening and was attempting to help as many people as he could. I do not feel there was any more James Ray could have done.' The signed statement of a second participant said that 'I realize that what has happened is a horrible tragedy, but I do not feel that James Ray is responsible for what has occurred.' Finally, the signed statement of a JRI employee indicates that 'the press reports stating that James abandoned the participants that night are completely false.'"

In his most recent public comments on the incident, Ray posted a statement on his Web site Nov. 30, 2009: "As you know, I've asked members of my team to travel to Arizona, meet with authorities there and provide all the information they have to offer. That process has gone on for the last two weeks, and we believe it's been helpful. Of course, if additional information is required, my team is ready to provide it in our continuing hope that the causes of the Sedona accident can be determined as quickly and authoritatively as possible."

Before the deadly Arizona sweat lodge incident, Colleen Conaway jumped to her death from the third floor of a mall in San Diego during another event Ray held at which he had his followers dress as homeless people.

Conaway's sister, Lynn Graham, said Conaway had no history of psychological problems.

"We would have never, ever thought this would have happened to her from attending a motivational speaker or a self-help guru. … It makes no sense to us," Graham said.

[Added the full text of the link.]

[NDN_Outlaw]

http://www.sweatlodgeinvestigation.com/

Predictable lawyer sharks in a feeding frenzy over James Ray death lodge. Despite the sell the site does include a news feed with interesting articles and videos.