Three deaths in sweat lodge result in prison sentence

A well-known self-help guru was sentenced to two years in prison late last month in a case that arose out of the wrongful death of three people inside a sweat lodge, including a 40-year-old Milwaukee man, his 38-year-old friend, and a 49-year-old woman. The defendant had arranged for the sweat lodge ceremony to take place, and encouraged a number of his followers to take part.

The intense heat apparently continued for approximately two hours, causing a number of those inside to feel ill. Participants were allegedly charged over $9,000 to attend the October 2009 sweat lodge ceremony as part of a five day retreat close to Sedona, Arizona.

The defendant, who makes his living as a motivational speaker, faced a possible sentence of up to nine years. He has reportedly made millions of dollars by speaking about how following his teachings can result in financial and spiritual wealth, and appeared on television programs such as "Larry King Live" and "The Oprah Winfrey Show."

The Milwaukee man who died during the sweat lodge ceremony allegedly pleaded with the man for help early on, but was told that he should simply wait until the event was completed. He did, however, manage to drag one woman from the sweat lodge, seeking to assist her after she collapsed because of the extreme heat. Following that, he apparently went back inside, seeking to assist another person who had begun to react adversely to the prolonged heat exposure. Unfortunately, he and his friend both collapsed and died.

In addition to the three deaths, 18 people were hospitalized with various injuries as a result of the excessive heat.

Source: TMJ 4, "Mother of Milwaukee victim responds to sentence in sweat lodge deaths," Keller Russel, Nov. 18, 2011