Posted on 02/16/2016 5:53:44 AM PST by Enlightened1
Veteran homicide investigators in New York and Washington, DC, on Monday questioned the way local and federal authorities in Texas handled the death of Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia.
"It's not unreasonable to ask for an autopsy in this case, particularly knowing who he is," retired Brooklyn homicide Detective Patricia Tufo told The Post.
"He's not at home. There are no witnesses to his death, and there was no reported explanation for why a pillow is over his head," Tufo said. "So I think under the circumstances it's not unreasonable to request an autopsy. Despite the fact that he has pre-existing ailments and the fact that he's almost 80 years old, you want to be sure that it's not something other than natural causes."
Bill Ritchie, a retired deputy chief and former head of criminal investigations for the DC police, said he was dumbstruck when he learned that no autopsy would be performed.
"I took a look at the report and I almost fell out of my chair," Ritchie told The Post from his home in Maryland.
"I used to be an instructor in the homicide school. Every death investigation you are handling, you consider it a homicide until the investigation proves otherwise," Ritchie said.
"How do you know that person wasn't smothered? How do you know it's not a homicide until you conduct an investigation? You have to do your job. Once you go through that process, you can conclude that this is a naturally occurring death."
Presidio County Judge Cinderela Guevara said she declared Scalia dead via telephone based on what cops and marshals at the scene told her -- that there were no signs of foul play.
(Excerpt) Read more at nypost.com ...
CBS story with explanation from the resort owner:
Pillow not over his face but over his head against the headboard. Still a strange comment to make.
"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."
https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/texas-tv-station-scalia-died-of-a-heart-attack/2016/02/14/938e2170-d332-11e5-9823-02b905009f99_story.html
According to the Marshall’s office it was Scalia who requested they not accompany him.
“In a statement Sunday, the U.S. Marshals Service, which provides security for Supreme Court justices, said that Scalia had declined a security detail while at the ranch, so marshals were not present when he died. “Deputy U.S. Marshals from the Western District of Texas responded immediately upon notification of Justice Scalia’s passing,” the statement said.”
"Meanwhile, 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."
Unfrickinbelievable. She should be embarrassed for saying that and stripped of her license just on principle.
A Doctor makes these pronouncements without seeing the body. This is like Obamacare in action. Scalia paid back for his dissent. No excuse for no autopsy. None.
> “Meanwhile, 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.”
The conversation with Scalia’s physician did not occur until 8 PM, it could not have informed her opinion or actions.
Tony Manriquez has lived in Presidio County all his life. Right now, he lives six miles from the ranch, and one look at the town sign tells you he doesn't have that many neighbors.Why was Secret Service there? Judges are protected by the Marshal Services Judicial Security Division, not the Secret Service."Word gets around in town that there's Secret Service out there. So, we automatically know there's Washington people here," Manriquez said.
Posted: Feb 14, 2016 6:10 PM EST, Updated: Feb 15, 2016 12:23 AM EST
http://www.kltv.com/story/31220033/details-of-cibolo-creek-ranch-where-justice-scalia-was-found-dead
Perhaps Mr. Manriquez is mistaken?
IIRC she is not a doctor but a justice of the peace. apparently under Texas law in counties without a medical examiner/coroner a jp does death pronouncements.
Also apparently under Texas law she can make such pronouncements by phone in cases where there are no suspicious circumstances.
As to the autopsy - they are bowing to the family’s wishes. Maybe the family knows his medical history well enough not to be suspicious.
Hopefully the statement from his personal physician will clear things up.
True but it adds to her initial pronouncement based on the scene as described to her by law enforcement. And it doesn’t appear to contradict her initial pronouncement.
Strip away the person (Justice Scalia) and this is an overweight, 79 year old man found in his bed with no signs of foul play.
Both of my parents went the same way. Both died in their sleep, a few years apart. Both in their mid-70s. Neither had a history of heart problems. And in both cases they didn’t do autopsies.
“When you hear hoof-beats, think of horses not zebras”
IIRC she is not a doctor but a justice of the peace. apparently under Texas law in counties without a medical examiner/coroner a jp does death pronouncements.Also apparently under Texas law she can make such pronouncements by phone in cases where there are no suspicious circumstances.
As to the autopsy - they are bowing to the family’s wishes. Maybe the family knows his medical history well enough not to be suspicious.
Hopefully the statement from his personal physician will clear things up.
Yeah, I understood. I meant her law license. But this whole thing makes me wonder about his Doctor back East. What kind of nonsense are we being subjected to here? It is as if they are trolling us.
And for Texas, already stained with a high-profile case ( where they seemed to be responsible until they allowed the Secret Service to take JFK away too soon ), how can they allow something like this to occur? I think the Governor should have locked that scene down tight and personally overseen every step. Anything else leads to conspiracy theories.
Some tidbits
- - - -
The owner of the Texas ranch where Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia died of natural causes Saturday while on a quail hunting trip said Scalia was “animated” and a “delightful guest” the night before his death.
Scalia arrived at the Cibolo Ranch in Presidio County Friday around noon from a charter flight from Houston, ranch owner John B. Poindexter told ABC News on Sunday.
Poindexter said that “once [Scalia’s] presence was even a potential [for the quail trip], we did all we possibly could do attract him here.”
The quail hunting group, including Scalia, had a “jolly lunch,” and in the afternoon, some guests hunted quail, but Scalia just observed, Poindexter said.
Poindexter said he then sat a few seats away from Scalia at dinner, where the justice seemed “animated” and a “delightful guest.” Scalia seemed tired that night, but Poindexter said he was not concerned about his health.
Then, Saturday, Poindexter and another friend found Scalia in his room in his bed, “totally peaceful.”
Scalia was “stone cold” and had no pulse, Poindexter said.
His hands were on his chest and he seemed “relaxed,” Poindexter said.
Poindexter and the friend called the emergency room, and the local sheriff and several U.S. Marshals came to the scene, he said.
Presidio County Judge Cinderela Guevara, who pronounced Scalia dead, told ABC News 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. Scalia was 79.
“What a great loss he is going to be as a defender of rights and privileges we have as Americans,” Poindexter said.
Guevara told ABC News 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.
http://www.wsar.com/national/16f6aff794995c2f21c257ed8a2cd0bb
- - - -
The Texas county judge who decided no autopsy was needed following the death of Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia is raising new questions about Scalia’s health in the days before he died.
Presidio County Judge Cinderela Guevara tells The Associated Press that she spoke to Scalia’s doctor on the day Scalia was found dead at a remote Texas ranch. She says the doctor told her Scalia had a history of heart trouble, high blood pressure and was considered too weak to undergo surgery for a recent shoulder injury.
Those details are seemingly at odds with the recollections of friends who described Scalia has his usual, happy self during the time leading up to his death. Unlike presidents, the high court’s members don’t provide regular health disclosures to the public.
- - - -
The narrative justifying the Judge’s pronouncement of the cause of death and the lack of an autopsy is “Scalia’s doctor told her he had been sick”.
The Judge had no knowledge of any illness. Why is this being touted?
> “When you hear hoof-beats, think of horses not zebras”
All well and good. By the same token, this “the Judge spoke with Scalia’s physician” is a bit much. It smacks of a story being sold too hard.
Sheriff Dominguez and his deputies were the first local law enforcement officers to arrive at the luxury Cibolo Creek Ranch near Shafter, Texas following the discovery of 79-year-old Scalia's body early Saturday morning.This is another example of "the Judge spoke with Scalia's physician" being used to justify the lack of an autopsy.Asked why Judge Cinderela Gonzalez felt able to issue a death certificate stating Scalia died of natural causes without seeing the body or an autopsy carried out, he says: 'If there's no suspicious circumstances, then that is allowed under Texas law.
'She made that decision after speaking with me and after making calls to his doctor and his family.
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-3449999/Sheriff-911-caller-wouldnt-say-person-died-Scalia.html
This is what I mean by a story being sold too hard.
“It smacks of a story being sold too hard.”
I agree it is being sold hard. But is that because of the conspiracy talk, especially Trump’s? Second guessing leads to clarifications and justifications, leads to more second guessing. It is a self-feeding loop.
I've noticed that.
Furtiveness invites scrutiny.
The “nothing to see here” meme began with an unnamed Marshall telling the Judge, “It’s not necessary for you to come, judge. If you’re asking for an autopsy, that’s what we need to clarify.”
But Obama is protected by the Secret Service.
It’s been reported that the plane Scalia came in on was surrounded by fighter planes, which is only done when the President is on board.
Fighter planes. Secret Service...
What was Obama doing in Scalia’s plane shortly before Scalia died? Apparently something he didn’t want anybody to know, because it was kept very secret...
The story is false from a fake news website. Some of the facts are easily disproven.
Obama gave a speech in Illinois on the afternoon of Wednesday, February 10th and was in San Jose California by 7:30 that night. He stayed in San Jose until the morning of February 11th and flew to Los Angeles about 2:00 that afternoon.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EF-G1XRIlkU
and
and
Also Justice Scalia’s doctor has released a letter on his medical history.
http://www.cbsnews.com/news/antonin-scalia-suffered-from-many-health-problems-doctor-says/
This CBS article is yet another article justifying the lack of an autopsy by applying knowledge gained after the fact.
Oh, great. Here comes a whole new chapter of your fan fiction.
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