James Ray's Video Message to Supporters

Ray say he still has a "deep desire and passion to make a difference."

ByABC News via logo
October 28, 2009, 3:49 PM

March 25, 2010 — -- James Ray posted a video message on his Web site telling his supporters that despite facing criminal charges in the deaths of three participants in a sweat lodge ceremony he ran, he still wants to help people.

Ray begins the message by saying he, the families and everyone else affected by the deaths at the Sedona, Ariz., sweat lodge "have been through a lot over the last several months."

The self-help guru, who has pleaded not guilty to three charges of manslaughter, continues saying that he no longer has a company and therefore cannot travel the country speaking to people as he used to, "at least for the foreseeable future until this issue is brought to some closure."

"But what I still have inside of me even yet is a deep desire and passion to make a difference, to provide value, to help you in any way I can and I have a wealth of information still inside of me," Ray says in the message.

Ray, who appears to be sitting in his home in the video, says instead he will use the Internet to help his supporters and invites people to join him every week.

"It is my gift to you, just to share with you some tools, techniques, some insights, some knowledge, some ways in which you can deal with challenges in your own life, some ways in which you can design and really achieve the life you deserve," Ray says.

On Oct. 8, more than 60 people were gathered at a sweat lodge ceremony led by Ray that was supposed to cleanse their bodies. But within an hour, people began to collapse and vomit, one of the participants told ABC News.

Kirby Brown, 38, and James Shore, 40, each of whom paid nearly $10,000 to spend the week with Ray, died in the lodge.

Liz Neuman, 49, spent more than a week in a coma and died Oct. 17. Eighteen others were injured.

Ray's lawyer, Brad Brian, told "Good Morning America" last month that Ray accepts responsibility for what happened, but that does not make it a crime.

"After this happened he immediately reached out to the families. We have been meeting with the families' lawyers. But again, that doesn't make it a crime. We think turning this into a criminal charge we think is unjust and we look forward to proving his innocence in court," Brian said.