We have some new details tonight about the death of Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia: he had a history of heart trouble, high blood pressure, and was considered too weak to undergo surgery for a shoulder injury.

A shoulder injury. That raises the possibility that he may have had symptoms of a heart attack before his vacation at this West Texas resort.

Presidio County Judge Cinderela Guevara told The Associated Press on Monday she spoke with Scalia’s doctor on the day he was found dead in his room at a remote Texas ranch. She said the doctor told her that 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 recollections of friends who described Scalia as his usual, happy self during the days leading up to his death. News that the 79-year-old justice was in declining health may come as a surprise to the public, but unlike presidents, the high court’s members don’t provide regular health disclosures.

Guevara told the AP that she consulted with Scalia’s personal physician and local and federal investigators, who said there were no signs of foul play, before concluding that he had died of natural causes. She said she spoke with a “Dr. Monahan” at some point after 8 p.m. on Saturday to discuss Scalia’s health history.

[…]

Rear Adm. Brian P. Monahan is the attending physician for members of Congress and the Supreme Court. A Supreme Court spokeswoman could not immediately confirm that Monahan had examined Scalia, and Monahan did not return a phone message left for him at his Capitol office Monday.