Former presidential nominee and ex-Utah senator Mitt Romney said his family is “heartbroken” after his sister-in-law jumped or fell to her death in a Los Angeles suburb — just months after splitting from Romney’s brother.
“Our family is heartbroken by the loss of Carrie, who brought warmth and love to all our lives,” Romney said in a statement to People on Monday. “We ask for privacy during this difficult time.”
Carrie Elizabeth Romney was discovered dead on a street near a shopping mall parking garage in Valencia, Calif., at around 8:30 p.m. on Friday. She was 64 years old.
Authorities said her car was discovered inside a parking garage near the city’s Hyatt Regency Hotel.
It’s “unknown at the moment” if Carrie “jumped or fell” from the multi-story parking garage or a nearby building, Los Angeles County Deputy Brenda Serna said in an email.
The Los Angeles County Medical Examiner’s Office confirmed Carrie had died Friday, her cause of death is listed as “deferred,” indicating that further tests and investigation are pending. Her body was listed as “ready for release,” according to People.
However, authorities said foul play does not appear to be involved, NBC Los Angeles reported.
Carrie had been married to the ex-Utah senator’s older brother, George Romney, 81 — a well-known attorney and the father of former Republican National Committee chair Ronna McDaniel.
The former presidential nominee’s brother — who goes by Scott — had filed for divorce on June 10 after eight years of marriage, citing irreconcilable differences, according to the Daily Mail.
He also stated in the filing that most of their assets had been obtained separately before the marriage. He noted that Carrie was seeking spousal support, which he opposed, and requested that she go back to using her maiden name, Carrie Elizabeth Dimas, the outlet reported.
It’s unclear when the two met, but the couple tied the knot in November 2016.
However, they appeared to have kept their relationship private. From 2012 onward, the two quietly stepped away from public view — avoiding social media, interviews, and public appearances together, the Daily Mail reported.
The divorce would have brought an end to Scott Romney’s third marriage.
The 81-year-old currently works as an attorney at Honigman Miller Schwartz and Cohn in Michigan and serves on several boards, including Compuware Corporation.
Romney mounted a presidential campaign against former President Barack Obama in 2012, gaining significant national support before ultimately losing the race.
Scott Romney was the most publicly visible of his siblings throughout his brother’s 2012 campaign, according to the New York Times.
While in the Senate, Romney was the only Republican to vote to convict President Trump during his first impeachment trial in 2020.
The Former presidential nominee repeated his vote during Trump’s second impeachment trial the following year.
A longtime critic of Trump, Romney penned a scathing op-ed in 2019 pledging to challenge what he called the president’s “destructive statements” made with the backing of the White House.
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