Scalia's Son: Conspiracy Theories 'Hurtful Distraction'

Eugene Scalia, son of the late Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia, says the conspiracy theories surrounding his father's recent death are a "hurtful distraction" as his family mourns his passing.

"He seemed sort of a permanent institution," Eugene Scalia said Wednesday on Laura Ingraham's radio show. "But he would have been the first to tell you — the first — that we're from dust, we return to dust, your life could be taken from you at any instant."

Antonin Scalia was just one month shy of his 80th birthday, his son said, "but I knew and he knew that he was at a place in life where he could be taken from his world at any time. And that's what happened last week. Our family just has no doubt that he died of natural causes. We accept that."

Conspiracy theories have suggested Scalia did not die of "natural causes" at a Texas ranch, noting that Presidio County Judge Cinderela Guevara made the determination after being told by law enforcement there were no signs of foul play.

Guevara has said a Dallas TV station misreported her words saying Scalia died of a "myocardial infarction," or heart attack. She told The Washington Post she only meant that his heart had stopped.

Other theories have noted that the ranch's owner, John Poindexter, said he found Scalia's body with a "pillow over his head."

Poindexter said Tuesday that the pillow was between Scalia's head and the bed's headboard, not over his face as was said by GOP presidential candidate Donald Trump and radio host Alex Jones, Mashable reported.  

Eugene Scalia called all the talk "a distraction from a great man and his legacy. On a personal level I think it's a bit of a hurtful distraction for a family that's in mourning."

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