Mitt Romney, the former Republican presidential candidate and Utah senator, is speaking out after his sister-in-law was found dead near a parking garage in Valencia, California. Carrie Romney, 64, was found on Friday, October 10 and while her death is currently under investigation, it is believed that she either fell or jumped. The Los Angeles county medical examiner's office listed her cause of death as "deferred" while they await the toxicology results, which could take months. She was married to Mitt's older brother, George Scott Romney, 84.
"Our family is heartbroken by the loss of Carrie," Mitt shared in a statement to People on Tuesday, October 14. "[She] brought warmth and love to all our lives. We ask for privacy during this difficult time." The Los Angeles County Sheriff's department is still working on the case. "We don't know if it was suicide or accidental," LA County Sheriff’s spokesperson Lt Daniel Vizcarra said of the incident. "There is not enough information to go by yet on what the coroner has given us so far."
George Scott, who goes by "Scott," was married three times – first to Ronna Romney, then to Sheri Jelalian, and lastly to Carrie. He had five children with Ronna, including Ronna McDaniel, the former chair of the Republican National Committee. Scott and Ronna divorced in 1992. He married Carrie in 2016.
In addition to Scott, Mitt, 78, has two other siblings – Margo, who passed away at age 84 in 2019, and Jane, 87. The family lived in the suburbs of Detroit, Michigan and were raised in a very religious household. His parents took him and his siblings to church every Sunday. "We had family prayers on a regular basis, and Dad talked about religion on a regular basis," Scott told PBS in 2012.
Mitt's father, George W. Romney, became the CEO of American Motors in 1954, quickly gaining notoriety in print and on television. Soon after, George became a three term governor of Michigan, serving from 1963 to 1969. After President Richard Nixon was elected, he became the Secretary of Housing and Urban Development. Mitt's mother, Lenore Romney, ran for Senate in Michigan in 1970.
"In terms of suggesting that we run for office or encouraging us to run, [our dad] never really did that," Scott told PBS. "When Mitt did run for Senate and lose, he said: 'I hope you have a chance to do something again. Many times you learn more from a loss than from a win.'"
When Mitt ran for president, his big brother supported him. Per The New York Times, Scott attended rallies, strategy sessions, and fundraisers. He told PBS that he did "everything" he could to "help [Mitt's] political career" from his governorship to his multiple bids to be elected as the President of the United States.
Also mourning the death of Scott's wife Carrie, are Mitt's five children who he shares with his wife Ann Romney, 76 – Tagg, 55, Matt, 54, Josh, 50, Ben, 47, and Craig, 44.