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Oct 18, 2009 10:48 pm US/Central
Lawsuit Planned In MN Woman's Sweat Lodge Death
(WCCO)
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James Arthur Ray had rented the Angel Valley Retreat Center for his five-day "Spiritual Warrior" event that culminated in the sweat lodge ceremony. Participants paid between $9,000 and $10,000 to attend the retreat.
CBS
The family of the Prior Lake woman who died after attending a spiritual retreat is planning to sue over her death. Forty-nine-year-old Liz Neuman was overcome while in a sweat lodge near Sedona, Ariz.
She died Saturday at a hospital in Flagstaff. Two other people died after collapsing in the sweat lodge as well. More than 50 people were in the sweat lodge for about two hours.
"The warmest, kindest, compassionate person you could know. Just smiling, upbeat, energetic, happy, alive," said Roxanne Jenks, who knew Neuman for the past several years through the Unity Valley Spiritual Center in Savage.
Neuman was one of about 20 people who collapsed in the sweat lodge on Oct. 8. She fell into a coma and died this weekend from multiple organ damage. Neuman was very involved with the Unity Valley Spiritual Center. Her death has hit the community hard.
"She was a light, a light to all of us. I'm grateful to have known her. I'll carry that light. She was infectious," commented friend Jennifer Stevens.
Unity Valley Spiritual Center is not affiliated with the James Arthur Ray organization, which ran the retreat. They knew she had attended the retreats before and organized a local seminar featuring Ray.
"I know that she was very passionate about it and she brought a lot of energy to that," explained Jenks.
The same kind of energy her friends at the spiritual center admired.
"All I can think of is (her) exuberance and joy," added Stevenson.
Neuman leaves behind a daughter and two sons. The family's attorney said Neuman was extremely athletic and did not suffer from any medical problems.
Authorities in Arizona are investigating the deaths as homicides. Participants paid more than $9,000 for the "spiritual warrior" retreat. According to Ray's Web site, the retreats are meant to "accelerate the releasing of your limitations" and can be "grueling" at first.
Investigators are looking into the construction of the sweat lodge and the fact that people had fallen ill at previous sweat ceremonies led by Ray.
(© MMX, CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved.)
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