Former Supreme Court Justice David Souter dead at 85

Former Supreme Court Justice David Souter died Thursday at his home in New Hampshire at the age of 85, the Court announced Friday.

"Justice Souter was appointed to the Court by President George H.W. Bush in 1990, and retired in 2009, after serving more than 19 years on the Court," it said in a statement.

"Justice David Souter served our Court with great distinction for nearly twenty years. He brought uncommon wisdom and kindness to a lifetime of public service. After retiring to his beloved New Hampshire in 2009, he continued to render significant service to our branch by sitting regularly on the Court of Appeals for the First Circuit for more than a decade. He will be greatly missed," Chief Justice John Roberts said.

Souter was described by the Associated Press as a "reliably liberal vote on abortion, church-state relations, freedom of expression and the accessibility of federal courts."

Upon his retirement in 2009, President Barack Obama chose Sonia Sotomayor to take his seat.

Fox News' Bill Mears and Shannon Bream contributed to this report.

This is a developing story. Please check back for updates.