On October 8th, 2009, at a New Age "Spiritual Warrior" retreat conceived and hosted by James Arthur Ray at the Angel Valley Retreat Center in Yavapai County near Sedona, Arizona, two participants of a sweat lodge exercise; James Shore and Kirby Brown died. Eighteen others were hospitalized after suffering burns, dehydration, breathing problems, kidney failure or elevated body temperature. Liz Neuman, another attendee, died October 17th after being comatose for a week.

The attendees, who had paid up to $10,000 to participate in the retreat, had fasted for 36 hours during a vision quest exercise before the next day's sweat lodge. According to investigators, a local group built the sweat lodge under hire. The site owners reported by e-mail that it was built in 2008. Jack Judd, the county building safety manager, said that there was no record of a permit or an application for

a permit to build the sweat lodge.

On October 15th, the Yavapai County sheriff's office upgraded the investigations into the deaths of James Shore and Kirby Brown to homicide probes, after talking with participants. Officials claimed the sweat lodge lacked the necessary building permit.  James Ray has apparently arranged for his own private investigation into the deaths.

On November 7th, Ray issued a statement telling his followers via Facebook: "I'm continuing to devote all my energy to determine the facts surrounding the tragic accident at Sedona. I've instructed my representatives to meet with the authorities in Arizona and to share with those authorities the facts they learn. That process is ongoing." He added that his organization's work is for the time being entirely consumed by efforts to "determine what happened in Sedona," and therefore, every other business will be necessarily postponed.

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