Things move fast on the Internet. On Saturday, Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia was found dead in his home at the age of 79. Within mere hours of this news going public, conspiracy theorists were having a field day. The most common theory? That Scalia had not died of natural causes, and was in fact the victim of a sinister murder plot. Here are just a few of the conspiracy theories surrounding Scalia's death. And make no mistake about it: the Internet is just getting started.

Murder Most Foul

To be fair, the death of Justice Scalia was practically gift-wrapped for those looking for a sinister plot: Scalia had no security detail at the time of his death (and was in fact pronounced dead over the phone), no autopsy was ordered, and a clear cause of death could not be determined. Unfortunately, the idea that this was all some grand assassination attempt has found some surprisingly powerful supporters, namely Donald Trump. Trump was particularly intrigued by the fact that Scalia's body was found with a pillow covering its face (and ignoring the many people who pointed out that they often slept this way without conspiracy theories arising), and did not hesitate to imply that further investigation could only be a good thing.

Most Illogical

If you're going to go with a conspiracy theory, go big; at least, that seems to be the logic behind this particular story. According to some, Leonard Nimoy (who played the beloved Mr. Spock in the original Star Trek series), didn't actually die last year. Instead, he assumed his true role as the head of the Illuminati. And part of being the ruler of the Illuminati and all the power it contains is to eliminate unwanted obstacles. Ultraconservative Scalia clearly didn't fit into the Illuminati's plan for the future, so he was duly eliminated. Well, full points for originality if nothing else.

Presidential Power

Considering we're gearing up for a truly contentious election (and considering the state of politics is what it is), it should come as no surprise that President Obama has been accused of being involved with Scalia's death by numerous right-wing conspiracy theorists. They point out that without the incredibly conservative Justice on the Supreme Court, the President can now go about enacting any laws that strike his fancy (because that's how the government works). Some even insist that President Obama had Scalia killed as part of some pagan ritual sacrifice, because that makes way more sense than a 79 year-old dying of natural causes.

It Was Aliens

Come on, it's always aliens. But did they murder Justice Scalia, or simply whisk him away to strange worlds and marvelous adventures? Most seem to fall firmly on the side of "assassin aliens" sent to do away with the controversial Supreme Court Justice. Of course, you could always go with the basic facts of the case--that Justice Scalia was a man with multiple health conditions who passed away of natural causes--and leave it at that.

But maybe that's just what the aliens want you to do.

Tags
Supreme Court, Donald trump, Politics, Conspiracy theories, Leonard Nimoy, President Obama, Aliens