A medical examiner has determined the cause of death for Carrie Elizabeth Romney, the sister-in-law of former U.S. Sen. Mitt Romney.
On Tuesday, Dec. 9, the County of Los Angeles Department of Medical Examiner announced that Carrie died from blunt traumatic injuries after falling from the roof of a parking garage in Valencia, Calif., on Oct. 10. Her death has been ruled a suicide. She was 64.
A representative for Mitt Romney, 78, did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
According to the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department, deputies responded to a call at about 8:30 p.m. PT on the night of Carrie’s death. They arrived at a parking structure on the 24500 block of Town Center Drive in Valencia, where they found her body.
Officials said a woman had either jumped or fallen from the five-story garage, which is located near a Hyatt Regency hotel, as also reported by NBC Los Angeles.
In a statement released shortly after her death, Mitt Romney said, “Our family is heartbroken by the loss of Carrie, who brought warmth and love to all our lives. We ask for privacy during this difficult time.”
Months before Carrie’s death, her husband George “Scott” Romney — Mitt’s older brother — filed for divorce, according to court documents. The documents show that Scott, 84, filed on June 10 to end his marriage to Carrie, his third wife. The filing listed May 25 as their date of separation and cited “irreconcilable differences” as the reason for the breakup.
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Scott also asked the court to eliminate potential spousal support for both himself and Carrie, noting that “most of the assets and debts of the parties are separate property and were accumulated before marriage.”
Carrie indicated to the court that she planned to stop using the Romney surname after the divorce. Her attorney, Paulina Markey, said the divorce had not been finalized at the time of Carrie’s death.
“This is an immensely difficult time for Ms. Romney’s loved ones, and the family has requested privacy as they grieve,” Markey said in a statement. “We extend our deepest condolences to them during this time.”
Scott’s attorney, Karen L. Goldman, said, “My client has not authorized me to make any comments to media during this difficult and tragic time.”
Scott and Carrie married on Nov. 16, 2016, and did not have children together. Scott was previously married to Ronna Romney from 1967 to 1992 and to Sheri Jelalian from 2011 to 2016.
He has seven children from his earlier marriages, including former Republican National Committee chairwoman Ronna McDaniel.
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