Urgent calls begin for Scalia autopsy Rush to 'natural causes' conclusion criticized 2016.02.14
WASHINGTON – The seemingly quick conclusion that Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia died of “natural causes” this weekend is prompting calls for an autopsy and toxicological reports by activists and across social media platforms.
William Gheen, president of the Americans for Legal Immigration political action committee, noted the media’s “rush” to proclaim Scalia’s death in a rented room in a resort in Texas as either “natural causes” or heart attack within hours of the discovery of his body.
“Anytime a head of state, member of Congress, or the most conservative member of the U.S. Supreme Court is found dead, an extensive autopsy and toxicology examination should be both immediate and mandatory,” said Gheen. “The horrid reaction and comments about his death expressed by many liberals online illustrate that Scalia was hated by many people. His death hands the power of the Supreme Court to the modern left for the first time in American history. The court can now vote, even without a replacement of Scalia, to radically change the United States of America. Scalia’s death means the Supreme Court is now very likely to rubber stamp Obama’s unconstitutional amnesty orders, tear down Republican drawn districts in many states including North Carolina, and take deep left turns on abortion, gun rights, or anything the liberals have ever dreamed of. Scalia was a solid vote against Obama’s immigration orders to be decided by April of this year. We do not contend there is a conspiracy, we contend that there should be no doubts, and the way authorities and the media are rushing conclusions will leave major doubts and legitimate concerns about a death that could lead to a radical political transformation of America to the left.”
The body arrived at a Texas funeral home a day after he died while on a hunting trip. Chris Lujan of Sunset Funeral Homes in El Paso said the body of the late justice arrived early Sunday. Scalia had been staying at the Cibolo Creek Ranch in Presidio County, Texas, during a quail hunting trip, said federal officials. He was 79.
Presidio County Judge Cinderella Guevara, who pronounced Scalia dead, said the death certificate will say the cause of death was natural, and that he died of a heart attack. She said no autopsy was necessary.
Guevara said she talked to Scalia’s doctor in Washington, D.C., who told her he had been sick and had been at his office Wednesday and Thursday before going on the hunting trip Friday.
According to Guevara, Scalia told his group Friday at dinner he was not feeling well and went to his room early. He then missed breakfast and lunch Saturday and was found unresponsive in his bed.
Well, I have to say this is exactly how my ex-husband died in 2012. We were told it looked like he just laid down to take a nap and the death scene was remarkably undisturbed. He looked like he was just sleeping.
However, he did have an autopsy which showed blocked arteries, which surprised us since he was an athlete. Death was either heart failure or a massive heart attack. Apparently he never knew what hit him, which is a blessing.
I suspect it may have been the same with Scalia. The man was overweight - and nearly 80 years old after all - so who knows what shape his arteries were in? In addition he told a friend on Thursday that he had shoulder pain, which he assigned to a prior rotator cuff injury. Boy, my ears perked up when I heard that. Shoulder pain can be a precursor to heart attack.
His own doctor said he was ill this week. IMO, I don't think he looked that well in recent pictures.
I can understand why people feel there should be an autopsy under the circumstances but in the end it should be the family's call.
Just thought I'd present another viewpoint. I don't say it's impossible that something peculiar may have happened, just that it's more likely nothing untoward occurred. In my opinion, of course.
In any event, may this good and decent man rest in the peace of God and his family be comforted in the days ahead.
Scalia, in theory had several chronic conditions. However the lack of an autopsy combined with distrust of government authorities has given a measure of credence to stories swirling about. Circumstances are such that we will probably never know if the death was from natural causes or not. Natural causes or not, Scalia's death will serve as a convenient distraction.
There are some jurisdictions where an autopsy is mandated in the case of unexpected or violent deaths.
Scalia found dead with 'pillow over his head' Ranch owner recounts final hours of Supreme Court justice 2016.02.14\
Since Justice Antonin Scalia was found dead in his resort hotel room at Cibolo Creek Creek Ranch on Saturday, questions have been flying about the immediate declaration of “natural causes” as the means of death.
According to the ranch owner, Scalia was described as “animated and engaged” during dinner Friday night. He was one of three dozen invitees to an event unrelated to law or politics.
Yet just hours later, after missing both breakfast and lunch, he was found dead of apparent natural causes. Later, media outlets reported he had suffered a heart attack.
The Washington Post reported that after Scalia’s body was found:
Zitat It then took hours for authorities in remote West Texas to find a justice of the peace, officials said Sunday. When they did, she pronounced Scalia dead of natural causes without seeing the body and decided not to order an autopsy. A second justice of the peace, who was called but couldn’t get to Scalia’s body in time, said she would have ordered an autopsy.
As late as Sunday afternoon, there were conflicting reports about whether an autopsy would be performed, though officials later said Scalia’s body was being embalmed and there would be no autopsy. One report, by WFAA-TV in Dallas, said the death certificate would show the cause of the death was a heart attack.
As late as Sunday afternoon, for example, there were conflicting reports about whether an autopsy should have been performed. A manager at the El Paso funeral home where Scalia’s body was taken said his family made it clear that they did not want one.
Meanwhile, Presidio County Judge Cinderela Guevara acknowledged that she pronounced Scalia dead by phone, without seeing his body. Instead, she spoke to law enforcement officials at the scene – who assured her “there were no signs of foul play” – and Scalia’s physician in Washington, who said that the 79-year-old justice suffered from a host of chronic conditions.
“He was having health issues,” Guevara said, adding that she is awaiting a statement from Scalia’s doctor that will be added to his death certificate when it is issued later this week.
Guevara also rebutted a report by a Dallas TV station that quoted her as saying that Scalia had died of “myocardial infarction.” In an interview with The Washington Post, she said she meant only that his heart had stopped.
“It wasn’t a heart attack,” Guevara said. “He died of natural causes.”
Yep. I can totally understand people wishing an autopsy would have been done. IMO, the family should have allowed it just to quell the controversy, but it's their call. Many families prefer to avoid autopsies if it appears to be death from natural causes.
I also agree that the commentary regarding the pillow sounds strange. However, the sleeping habits of some people include putting a number of pillows behind them as props, etc. It's possible in the throes of death a pillow could have pitched forward.
Regardless, it will all be left to speculation and history now. Has anyone heard when the services will be held?