In this picture we will assume, as James Ray’s lawyers and PR people are stating, the deaths in Sedona were a “tragic accident”, but not criminal. If indeed this were true I propose an alternate sequence of possible events.

Reports out of Sedona on October 8 & 9 would have been something like:

• Speaker James Arthur Ray, presently at the hospital consoling his customers was heroic last night after after an tragic accident sent several people to the hospital and left 2 dead.
• Ray used his satellite phone to call authorities immediately upon seeing people were injured.
• In these initial reports, it would have been stated that “several people fell ill” during a sweat lodge. When authorities and emergency crews arrived on scene, Ray & his staff were tending to those who were ill. Rendering CPR, first aid and comfort.
• It’s would have been reported that the JRI staff have contacted the family members and emergency contacts of all seminar participants and informed this what happened, the status of their loved ones well being and which hospital they may be located.
• Ray has personally contacted the families of those who died and with the worst injuries and offered them comfort and offered to fly them to Arizona to be with their loved ones.
• In a statement from Ray’s PR Firm, he is canceling his events until he is certain he has done all he can. JRI will reschedule them as quickly as possible. Ray will be personally attending the funeral services for those who died and offering his full support during the grief process. Ray personally request your prayers and support.
• Ray has been and will continue to personally work with Yavapai County Authorities to investigate this tragic accident. According to YCSO Ray has personally facilitated the investigation by officials.
• Seminar participant Beverly Bunn, an Ophthalmologist and Medical Doctor commented on how well prepared the JRI staff was. She stated her admiration to James Ray and supporting participants to ensure their needs were met. Bunn also commented that if weren’t for James Ray’s preparedness & actions, there may have been more injuries or deaths.

This would have been in the initial reports. Followed by pictures of Ray at the hospital, working with the survivors, several press conferences and interviews on Oprah & Larry King.

BUT THAT’S NOT WHAT HAPPENED, IS IT?

Ray probably would have had to cancel the 2 free events the week following the Sedona Events and would have held his paid event the following weekend in San Diego AS A HERO.

Had this happened or anything similar James Arthur Ray who would be the hero and James Shore may be alive and not a posthumous hero. To those who feel I am judging Ray harshly, unfairly and unjustly, all I can say is go look at the pictures of James Shore’s children and widow who lost their father and husband due to the actions of James Ray.

The irony is, had Ray acted with love and compassion for others, he would have made millions more in sells and been a media sensation again.

Instead, James Ray did what he did. He acted (and still acts) to cover his own ass and protect his self-help business. James Ray’s actions led directly to his incarceration. When James Ray lawyered up October 8 and stopped directly speaking to investigators, he acted like a guilty man with something to hide.

Of course it came out very quickly about the death of Colleen Conaway in San Diego about 10 weeks earlier and the Ray & JRI’s cover-up of this incident was one of the main reasons the YCSO bumped the investigation from an accident to negligent homicide.