George Scott Romney, the 81-year-old brother of former presidential candidate Mitt Romney, filed for divorce from his wife just four months before she died in a tragic fall from a California parking garage, court records reveal.
Romney submitted divorce papers against 64-year-old Carrie Elizabeth Romney in June, citing irreconcilable differences in documents obtained by media outlets.
The experienced litigator, who previously pursued public office, sought to “terminate the court’s ability to award support” to either party in the divorce proceedings, court filings show.
The language suggests Romney wanted to prevent courts from intervening to provide his wife with any assets from the marriage.
Additional documents filed by Romney’s attorney indicated both parties had agreed to “mediate property and support” as part of the divorce process.
The filings paint a picture of a marriage dissolution that was headed toward private negotiation rather than court-ordered settlements.
Carrie Romney responded to the filing with her own legal requests.
She asked the court to order her husband to provide alimony and cover her legal expenses in the divorce, per reports.
She also petitioned to have her name changed back to a previous surname, Dimas.
The divorce case remained active when authorities discovered Carrie’s body at the base of a parking structure Friday night in Valencia, located 35 miles north of downtown Los Angeles.
The discovery shocked the quiet community where the couple had lived.
Investigators continue examining whether she jumped or accidentally fell from the structure.
The New York Post reported that the Los Angeles County medical examiner listed her cause of death as “deferred” as of Tuesday evening, indicating that additional investigation and analysis are needed before a final determination can be made.
Law enforcement officials stated they do not suspect foul play in the incident.
The preliminary investigation has not revealed any evidence suggesting criminal activity or third-party involvement in the death.
Court documents show the couple had been married for just over eight years when they separated in May.
Romney filed the divorce petition the following month, moving quickly to formalize the end of the relationship.
Despite the couple dating back to 2012 according to records, Romney claimed in his filing that they had no shared property for the court to divide between them.
This assertion came despite evidence suggesting the couple maintained a shared residence. However, the pair apparently resided together at a Valencia condominium valued at $725,000.
The property became a focal point for understanding the couple’s living arrangements in the months leading up to the separation and Carrie’s death, the Post highlighted.
Neighbors reported seeing Carrie at the residence shortly before her death.
Those who lived nearby described her as a pleasant presence in the community.
“She was quiet. Very nice,” one neighbor told reporters, requesting anonymity.
Romney was spotted in the neighborhood on Tuesday, walking with a hood pulled tightly around his face during unusually gloomy weather for southern California.
His appearance in the area came days after the discovery of his estranged wife’s body.
Carrie’s financial circumstances during the pending divorce remain unclear.
The legal filings suggest potential disputes over money and support, though the full extent of her economic situation has not been publicly disclosed.
Her past included a 2001 Chapter 7 bankruptcy filing with a previous husband.
This bankruptcy, filed more than two decades ago, represented a chapter in her financial history that preceded her relationship with George Scott Romney.
The divorce would have marked Romney’s third.
