A 26-year-old man who committed suicide outside of a Mormon temple in Las Vegas has been identified as the son of Ninth U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals Judge Jay Bybee.

According to the Las Vegas Review-Journal, Scott Greer Bybee, 26, of Henderson, Nev., walked into the courtyard of the Las Vegas Mormon Temple at 827 Temple View Drive, near Bonanza Road and Hollywood Boulevard, and fatally shot himself on Tuesday night.

Las Vegas Police Department spokesman Lt. Mark Reddon said Bybee’s family had contacted authorities, fearing Bybee was going to the temple to commit suicide. When police arrived, they found Bybee dead in the courtyard. As the Las Vegas Review-Journal reports, the temple was not evacuated, but all remaining services scheduled for that night were canceled.

According to NBC News, Judge Milan D. Smith Jr., of El Segundo, Calif., issued the following statement to fellow judges of the Ninth U.S. Circuit Court:

“Dear Colleagues, I write to the court family at the request of Jay and Dianna Bybee.

“From the time he was a very young man, Jay and Dianna's son Scott has suffered from severe depression. Over the years, Jay and Dianna have sought the best professional advice and treatments available for Scott, and have done all else they could as loving parents to help Scott cope with his struggles. Yesterday evening, however, Scott's sufferings became too great, and he took his own life.

“While Jay and Dianna mourn for Scott, and grieve for their own loss, they are grateful that he is finally released from his sufferings. They have faith that he is in a better place. It will take time for Jay, Dianna, and their other family members, to begin the healing process, but they will be grateful for your prayers and good wishes on their behalf.”

According to Gawker, Judge Jay Bybee is best known for signing the controversial “torture memos” in Aug. 2002 when he served as assistant attorney general for the Office of Legal Counsel in the Bush administration. As NBC News reports, George W. Bush nominated Bybee for the Court of Appeals on Jan. 7, 2003. He was confirmed by the U.S. Senate on March 13, 2003.

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