James Arthur 'The Guru' On Manslaughter Charges

 By Erin Carlyle

Liz Neuman's family has settled with the owners of the retreat where she died

​The owners of the Arizona retreat where Liz Neuman died after a sweat lodge disaster directed by a New Age guru have settled a civil lawsuit filed by her family.

In October 2009, the Prior Lake woman was one of three people to die during a spiritual retreat run by guru James Arthur Ray. The victims' families filed a lawsuit alleging that the conduct of retreat owners Michael and Amayra Hamilton led to the deaths of Neuman, Kirby Brown, and James Shore. A settlement agreement was reached last week but the terms were not disclosed.

Ray still faces manslaughter charges.

James Arthur Ray is on trial for manslaughter.

​Ray told his clients they might feel like they were going to die in the sweat lodge ceremony in October 2009. Two of the victims died right then and there. Neuman died nine days after the ceremony, of "multisystem organ failure due to hyperthermia due to prolonged sweat lodge exposure," according to the coroner's report.

Ray's trial on manslaughter charges started in March, and it's expected to drag on for months.

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