Timeline of Events Surrounding Scalia's Death

There being disjointed and scant details regarding the events surrounding the death of Justice Scalia, I've gathered information from various reports and assembled it here.

The resort sits in the middle of the Chihuahua Desert, 15 miles from Mexico, at the foot of the jagged Chinati Mountains

Cibolo Creek Ranch is a luxury 33-room resort with a private airstrip about 4 miles from the main office, rooms cost from $395 to $800 per night

Houston-born millionaire John Poindexter, a Vietnam veteran and self-published military historian, bought and restored the antebellum forts spread over 30,000 acres to become luxury accommodations. Since the 1990s, Poindexter has kept a private home on the ranch

Justice Scalia and the other guests were staying at the ranch free for the weekend.

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."

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-3446321/Inside-30-000-acre-West-Texas-resort-Scalia-died-counts-Mick-Jagger-Bruce-Willis-Jerry-Hall-Julia-Roberts-previous-guests.html

http://www.nytimes.com/2016/02/15/us/ranch-owner-recalls-finding-justice-antonin-scalias-body.html?_r=0

https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/texas-tv-station-scalia-died-of-a-heart-attack/2016/02/14/938e2170-d332-11e5-9823-02b905009f99_story.html

Scalia and an unnamed friend from Washington, D.C. arrived at the Cibolo Ranch around noon Friday by chartered aircraft traveling through Houston for a private party with about 40 people. [1][2][3][6]

Later that day, Scalia went out with the group to hunt blue quail. But "he did not exert himself," Poindexter said. "He got out of the hunting vehicle and walked around some." [4]

The quail hunting group, including Scalia, had a "jolly lunch," and in the afternoon, some guests hunted quail, but Scalia just observed, Poindexter said. [5]

Poindexter said he sat a few seats away from Scalia at dinner, where the justice seemed "animated" and a "delightful guest." [5]

Around 9 PM, after a cocktail reception and dinner, Justice Scalia told Mr. Poindexter that he was going to turn in for the night, and went to the property's presidential suite.[7]

Scalia went to bed early. But Poindexter said that didn't seem unusual: All of the guests were tired from traveling to the remote ranch, as well as the day's other activities. Everyone was in bed by 10 PM, he said. Scalia's behavior, Poindexter said, "was entirely natural and normal." [4]

Scalia seemed tired that night, but Poindexter said he was not concerned about his health. [5]

In the day leading up to his death, Justice Scalia was "very congenial, very convivial," Mr. Poindexter said. [7]

The next morning, Justice Scalia did not appear for breakfast. Poindexter at first thought he might be sleeping late, but eventually he grew concerned and went to look for him.

At 8:30 AM Scalia did not respond to a knock at the door of his suite. John B. Poindexter, the property's owner, was not alarmed. "I knocked on the door loudly," said Mr. Poindexter. "I had him in a very large room - a suite - and I thought he might be in the bathroom." Scalia's room was an expansive suite called the "El Presidente."

Just after 11 AM, Mr. Poindexter and a friend of Justice Scalia's tried the door again, again to no answer. They entered the room, and it took no medical training, Mr. Poindexter said, to recognize that Justice Scalia was dead. [2] [7]

Scalia was "stone cold" and had no pulse, Poindexter said. His hands were on his chest and he seemed "relaxed," Poindexter said. [1]

Mr. Poindexter called a hospital and, without identifying Justice Scalia, reported what had happened. A hospital official, Mr. Poindexter said, assessed that it would be impossible to resuscitate Justice Scalia, and ranch officials contacted the United States Marshals Service. [2] [7]

Poindexter and the friend called the emergency room, and the local sheriff and several U.S. Marshals came to the scene, he said. [1]

After discovery of the body around 11:00 AM the Justice of the Peace was contacted.

The Ranch is within Precinct 2, Justice of the Peace Juanita Bishop was out of town and duty devolved to the Justice of the Peace for Precinct 1, David Beebe. Beebe was going to a candidate forum in Alpine and was also unavailable. Neither Bishop nor Beebe knew the deceased was Justice Scalia. J.P. Bishop then contacted County Judge Cinderella Guevara. [10]

Presidio County Sheriff Danny Dominguez called County Judge Cinderela Guevera on her mobile phone after lunch. "He says, 'Judge, I'm at Cibolo Creek Ranch, and a Supreme Court Justice has just passed away, and I need someone here immediately. Both justices of the peace are out of town at this time,'" Guevara recounted to WFAA. "I said, 'Sheriff, what did you say? Which Supreme Court Justice died at Cibolo Creek Ranch?' And the phone went dead, because our connection was very bad," she explained. Cell phone service is spotty in far West Texas. There's no service at the ranch where Scalia passed away. Guevara said Dmoinguez called back repeatedly for 20 minutes, at the mercy of cell service. [6] [9]

Guevara said she pronounced Scalia dead over the phone at 1:52 p.m. on Saturday. [9]

She planned to drive to the ranch - about 30 minutes south of Marfa - but returned when a U.S. Marshal told her by phone: "It's not necessary for you to come, judge. If you're asking for an autopsy, that's what we need to clarify." [9]

Sheriff Dominguez and his deputies were the first local law enforcement officers to arrive [11]

Asked why Judge Gonzalez felt able to issue a death certificate stating Scalia died of natural causes without seeing the body or an autopsy carried out, Sheriff Dominguez 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." [11]

Justice Scalia's personal doctor called Judge Guevera at 8 PM Saturday night.[9] Guevara said she talked to Scalia's doctor in Washington, D.C.[15]

[Sheriff Dominguez's statement that Judge Guevera was able to issue a death certificate based on what Scalia's doctor said is obviously false. Guevera spoke with the doctor six hours after declaring Scalia died of "natural causes", the physician consultation did not inform her decisions]

The body arrived at El Paso at either 2:30 AM or 3:30 AM Sunday Feb 14, 2016.[13][14] The trip to El Paso took three hours.[8] Which indicates a departure time of either 11:30 PM Saturday or 12:30 AM Sunday

Scalia and an unnamed friend arrive at Ranch around noon Friday, Feb 12, 2016
Between noon Friday and 9 PM there was a "jolly lunch", a quail hunt, a cocktail reception, and dinner.
After dinner Scalia left for his room around 9 PM

Scalia did not appear for breakfast Saturday morning
At 8:30 AM Poindexter knocks on door of Scalia's suite, the knock goes unanswered
Shortly after 11:00 AM Poindexter and Scalia's friend enter room and discover body
Poindexter calls hospital, "hospital officials" assess that resuscitation would be impossible
"Ranch officials" call U.S. Marshals

In the three hours between 11:00 AM Saturday and 1:52 PM Saturday in addition to U.S. Marshals, County Judge Cinderella Guevara and Sheriff Dominguez become involved, culminating in Judge Guevara pronouncing Scalia dead at 1:52

The U.S. Marshal Service, the Presidio County sheriff and the FBI were involved in the investigation. Officials with the law enforcement agencies declined to comment. [12]

[2] https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/texas-tv-station-scalia-died-of-a-heart-attack/2016/02/14/938e2170-d332-11e5-9823-02b905009f99_story.html

[3] http://www.mysanantonio.com/news/us-world/article/Senior-Associate-Justice-Antonin-Scalia-found-6828930.php

[4] https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/texas-tv-station-scalia-died-of-a-heart-attack/2016/02/14/938e2170-d332-11e5-9823-02b905009f99_story.html

[6] http://www.wfaa.com/news/local/texas-news/scalia-to-have-autopsy-in-texas-according-to-state-law/42898331

[7] http://www.nytimes.com/2016/02/15/us/ranch-owner-recalls-finding-justice-antonin-scalias-body.html?_r=0

[8] http://woodtv.com/2016/02/14/scalias-body-at-funeral-home-after-3-hour-procession/

[9] http://www.11alive.com/story/news/nation-now/2016/02/14/official-scalia-died-heart-attack/80376442/

[10] http://marfapublicradio.org/blog/pronouncing-a-supreme-court-justice-dead-in-west-texas/

[11] http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-3449999/Sheriff-911-caller-wouldnt-say-person-died-Scalia.html

[12] http://www.zerohedge.com/news/2016-02-13/supreme-court-justice-antonin-scalia-found-dead-west-texas-ranch

[13] http://www.msn.com/en-us/news/us/body-of-supreme-court-justice-antonin-scalia-arrives-in-el-paso-awaits-flight-to-dc/ar-BBpufxo

[14] http://www.wfaa.com/news/local/texas-news/scalia-to-have-autopsy-in-texas-according-to-state-law/42898331

[15] http://abcnews.go.com/Politics/body-late-supreme-court-justice-antonin-scalia-arrives/story?id=36929601

U.S. Marshals Western District of Texas
2450 North Highway 118
Alpine, Texas 79830
http://www.usmarshals.gov/district/tx-w/locations/

Big Bend Regional Medical Center
2600 N Hwy 118
Alpine, TX 79830
http://www.bigbendhealthcare.com/big-bend-regional-medical-center/aboutus.aspx

Presidio County, Texas Sheriff Danny Dominguez
320 N. Highland Avenue
Marfa, Texas 79843
http://www.co.presidio.tx.us/default.aspx?Presidio_County/Sheriff
http://www.presidiocountysheriff.com/

Texas Code of Criminal Procedure, Chapter 49
http://www.statutes.legis.state.tx.us/Docs/CR/htm/CR.49.htm

I know all about them. And they do not have primary jurisdiction over any death case that isn’t on federal property. And even that is very rare.

Some things they are good at and in many ways are the best of the feds. But they really aren’t very good at basic street cop and Sheriff work. I know we all loved Tommy Lee Jones in the movie. But calling the Marshals for a death is like calling a federal agency to investigate your car wreck.

The fact is, 99% of what they do is security details for judges and inside Federal courthouses, transporting prisoners, and much more are, looking for fugitives. At a murder scene they aren’t much use.
Primary jurisdiction is always with the sheriff.

This “above your head and you better call the feds, but im not going to even tell you why” is a peek into the mentality of guys like poindexter, his buddies on the court, his getting awards from Obama, etc.

By they way, the marshals are the security detail. If the protectee is laying there dead, can you think of why that is the last people you would have investigate that death? It’s pretty obvious that the security unit doesn’t get to investigate why the protectee died.

I take issue with the free trips, too. Lowly administrative (secretaries) local government employees can’t take anything for free. Even in the private sector, I couldn’t take free lunch from anyone we might do business with, even if I had no decision making ability.

Perhaps this article and my questions deserve verification if possible:

US Supreme Court Justice Scalia Had Secret Texas Meeting With Obama Just Hours Before His Death
http://www.eutimes.net/2016/02/us-supreme-court-justice-scalia-had-secret-texas-meeting-with-obama-just-hours-before-his-death/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+TheEuropeanUnionTimes+%28The+European+Union+Times%29

This was only several days after SCOTUS decision against 0 clean power act, another green power regulatory takeover. Curious why:
1. Scalia may have met 0 in TX and 0 accompanied him on the same flight to the ranch, based on sat data of f16 coverage for the Gulfstream from Andrews to the ranch (not SOP for a SCOTUS Justice!) - but why the F16s then continued on to LA if the Gulfstream was EMPTY?
2. Why were the SOP official US Marshal Srvcs defenders for Scalia dismissed and replaced by US secret service?

Check this out for time of Obama’s appearances in California

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/news/3397711/posts?page=198#198

Scalia arrived at the Ranch on Fri Feb 12 around noon and died by morning Sat Feb 13

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