Reports indicate that Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia has died of natural causes at the age of 79.
KVIA of El Paso, Texas reports that Scalia died at Cibolo Creek Ranch outside of Marfa. His body was found in his room Saturday morning.
MySanAnotnio reports that Scalia arrived at the ranch on Friday. When Scalia didn’t appear for breakfast, an individual associated with the Cibolo Creek Ranch found him in his room.
According to MySanAntonio, a federal official who asked to remain anonymous said there was no evidence of foul play.
USA Today is reporting that Texas Gov. Gregg Abbot confirms Scalia’s death.
Justice Antonin Scalia, a bastion of conservatism on the Supreme Court has died in Texas, Gov. Greg Abbott confirms
— USA TODAY (@USATODAY) February 13, 2016
Gov. Abbot said in a statement: “Justice Antonin Scalia was a man of God, a patriot, and an unwavering defender of the written Constitution and the Rule of Law. He was the solid rock who turned away so many attempts to depart from and distort the Constitution. His fierce loyalty to the Constitution set an unmatched example, not just for judges and lawyers, but for all Americans. We mourn his passing, and we pray that his successor on the Supreme Court will take his place as a champion for the written Constitution and the Rule of Law. Cecilia and I extend our deepest condolences to his family, and we will keep them in our thoughts and prayers.”
Justice Scalia was appointed by President Ronald Reagan in 1986 and was the longest-serving current Justice on the Supreme Court.