YOU NEED TO KNOW
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The Los Angeles County Medical Examiner’s Department has determined the cause of death of former Sen. Mitt Romney’s sister-in-law, Carrie Elizabeth Romney.
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Carrie died on October 10 after falling from a parking garage in California
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Mitt said in a statement at the time that his family was “divided” by her death
A cause of death has been determined for Carrie Elizabeth Romney, the daughter-in-law of former US Senator Mitt Romney.
The Los Angeles County Medical Examiner’s Department (DME) said on Tuesday, December 9, that they determined that Carrie had died as a result of clear traumatic injuries. She was injured after falling from the roof of a parking garage in Valencia, California, on October 10. The DME also noted that Carrie’s death was a suicide. She was 64 years old.
A representative for Mitt, 78, did not immediately respond to PEOPLE’s request for comment.
A Los Angeles County Sheriff’s representative previously told PEOPLE that law enforcement responded to a call around 8:30 pm PT on the night of Carrie’s death and arrived at a Valencia parking garage located in the 24500 block of Town Center Drive, where they identified her body.
A Los Angeles County Sheriff’s representative told PEOPLE that a woman had jumped or fallen from the parking garage, which is five stories high and near the Hyatt Regency hotel, as reported by NBC Los Angeles.
In a statement shared with PEOPLE shortly after Carrie’s death, Mitt said, “Our family is devastated by the loss of Carrie, who brought warmth and love to all of our lives. We ask for privacy during this difficult time.”
Bill Pugliano/Getty Images
Mitt Romney speaks during a campaign stop at Lansing Community College on May 8, 2012 in Lansing, Michigan
Months before Carrie’s death, her husband George “Scott” Romney — Mitt’s older brother — filed for divorce, according to court documents obtained by PEOPLE.
The filing showed that Scott, 84, filed on June 10 to divorce Carrie, who was his third wife. The filing named May 25 as the date of the couple’s separation and cited “irreconcilable differences” as the reason for their split.
In his filing, Scott asked the judge to eliminate potential spousal support for both himself and Carrie during the divorce proceedings or at any point in the future. He noted, “many of the parties’ assets and debts are separate property and were accumulated prior to the marriage.”
Carrie indicated to the court that she would no longer use the surname Romney after the divorce. Paulina Markey, Carrie’s attorney, confirmed to PEOPLE that the divorce was not finalized at the time of Carrie’s death.
In a statement she said, “This is an extremely difficult time for Mrs. Romney’s loved ones, and the family has asked for privacy while they are grieving. We extend our deepest condolences during this time.”
Scott’s attorney, Karen L. Goldman, previously told PEOPLE when reached for comment, “My client has not authorized me to make any comments to the media during this difficult and tragic time.”
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Scott and Carrie were married on November 16, 2016, and had no children together. Scott was married to his first wife, Ronna Romney, from 1967 to 1992, and was to his second wife, Sheri Jelalian, from 2011 to 2016.
Scott is the father of seven children from his previous marriages. One of his children is the former chairwoman of the Republican National Committee Ronna McDaniel.
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