Mitt Romney’s sister-in-law found dead next to parking garage in California

The sister-in-law of Mitt Romney, the former US senator, was found dead Friday next to a suburban Los Angeles parking garage, according to authorities.

Carrie Romney, 64, evidently either fell or jumped, and foul play did not appear to be a factor in the early stages of the investigation into her death, officials told multiple media outlets Monday, when her identity became public.

The Los Angeles county medical examiner’s office indicated that Carrie Romney’s exact cause of death had initially been listed as “deferred” while the results of toxicology tests that could take months remain pending.

Attention generated by Carrie Romney’s death prompted her brother-in-law – once a presidential candidate and Massachusetts governor – to issue a statement lamenting her.

“Our family is heartbroken by the loss of Carrie, who brought warmth and love to all our lives,” said a statement from Mitt Romney reported by People. “We ask for privacy during this difficult time.”

Carrie Romney’s body was discovered near a shopping center parking garage in Valencia, California, at about 8.30 Friday morning, officials said. Authorities said her car had also been spotted at the garage.

She had married Mitt Romney’s older brother, George “Scott” Romney, in November of 2016. Scott Romney, 81, a prominent attorney in Michigan who is also the father of former Republican National Committee chairwoman Ronna Romney McDaniel, had filed to divorce Carrie – his third wife – in June after eight years of marriage, as the Daily Mail reported.

Mitt Romney, 78, ran for the US presidency twice after serving as governor of Massachusetts from 2003 to 2007. He lost the Republican nomination to the late John McCain in 2008 and then clinched it four years later.

Both of those elections were won by Barack Obama, the last Democratic candidate to win consecutive presidential terms.

Mitt Romney then won a six-year term as one of Utah’s US senators beginning in 2019.

He opted against seeking re-election to that post after becoming the only Republican who voted to convict Donald Trump at both of his impeachment trials during his first presidency.

At the time, Mitt Romney said he was leaving the US senate to give younger generations the chance to “step up” and “shape the world they’re going to live in”.

Mitt Romney did not support Trump as the latter man won a second presidency during the November 2024 election. But he also did not endorse Democratic nominee Kamala Harris, whom Trump defeated after losing the 2020 election to Joe Biden.