Ranch Owner Says Justice Antonin Scalia Looked Peaceful in Death

The 79-year-old died in Texas.

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The cause of Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia's sudden death is still unknown, but the ranch owner who found him claims that he seemed peaceful in death.

John B. Poindexter owns the remote Cibolo Creek Ranch in West Texas. Scalia was visiting for the weekend to participate in activities Poindexter organizes for visitors. Scalia arrived at the ranch on early Friday morning and had been staying in the presidential suite free-of-charge.

The ranch's owner told the New York Times that he found the conservative justice about three hours after his initial wake-up call.

"I knocked on the door loudly," Poindexter said. "I had him in a very large room — a suite — and I thought he might be in the bathroom."

He knew Scalia was dead immediately, but noted how relaxed the justice looked.

"His hands were sort of almost folded on top of the sheets," Poindexter said. "It was just like he was taking a nap. He just went to sleep and didn’t wake up."

Rev. Mike Alcuino gave Scalia his last rites as a Catholic, and then the justice's body was transported to a funeral home in El Paso, Texas.

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