Marriage woe for lawyer mom whose toddler fell to death off cruise
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Alan and Kimberly Wiegand once stood united after their two-year-old daughter, Chloe, tragically fell to her death from a cruise ship, a fall caused by Kimberly’s stepfather.

However, six years after Chloe, at just 18 months old, fell from the ship’s 11th deck while docked in Port of San Juan in July 2019—a tragedy that captured global attention—the burden of their loss has ultimately fractured their marriage.

Kimberly, a successful lawyer aged 42, filed for divorce merely five days following the fourth anniversary of Chloe’s passing, with the separation being finalized by the St Joseph Circuit Court in Indiana this past September, as reported by the Daily Mail.

According to court documents accessed by the Daily Mail, she stated the marriage was ‘irretrievably broken’. The couple reached an agreement to share custody of their five-year-old daughter, Ella.

When approached about the dissolution of her marriage at her residence in Granger, Indiana, near South Bend, Kimberly chose not to comment.

“I’m not comfortable speaking about what’s happened in our lives,” she shared with the Daily Mail.

Chloe fell 150ft on to a concrete pier after her step-grandfather Salvatore ‘Sam’ Anello put her on a railing in front of a window as the ship was docked in San Juan in Puerto Rico.

Anello, the second wife of Kimberly’s mother Patricia, claimed he didn’t realize the window in the children’s play area on the Freedom of the Seas was open.

Two-year-old Chloe Wiegand was dropped to her death from a cruise ship by step-grandfather Salvatore Anello in 2019 - and now her parents have split up

Two-year-old Chloe Wiegand was dropped to her death from a cruise ship by step-grandfather Salvatore Anello in 2019 – and now her parents have split up  

Alan and Kimberly Wiegand presented a strong united front after their daughter fell to her death from a Royal Caribbean cruise ship's window, but their marriage has now finished

Alan and Kimberly Wiegand presented a strong united front after their daughter fell to her death from a Royal Caribbean cruise ship’s window, but their marriage has now finished

Salvatore 'Sam' Anello accidentally dropped his step-granddaughter Chloe through an open window of the ship docked in San Juan. The two are pictured on the fateful cruise

Salvatore ‘Sam’ Anello accidentally dropped his step-granddaughter Chloe through an open window of the ship docked in San Juan. The two are pictured on the fateful cruise

The grandfather was charged with negligent homicide and sentenced to three years’ probation, while the Wiegands unsuccessfully sued Royal Caribbean for negligence.

Kimberly is now almost unrecognizable from her tearful TV interviews and lawsuit depositions next to her then-husband, South Bend cop Alan.

The mother-of-three has undergone a drastic makeover since the death of her youngest child, with her skin and lips noticeably plumped. 

Her dramatic new look is leaner, blonder and involves heavy makeup, as well as floral sleeve tattoos on her arms.

Exclusive Daily Mail photos show the smartly-dressed Kimberly waking into her office building dressed to the nines for her job as a federal defense attorney in South Bend. 

Kimberly’s new social media accounts, created around the time she filed for divorce and using her maiden name Schultz, include a TikTok she describes as ‘basically just hockey mom stuff’.

Her Facebook is similarly described as ‘Mom. Lawyer. Cheese enthusiast. Plant lady’ and she spent some of her free time making and selling custom tumblers, clothing and jewelry.

But among the glamorous selfies and photos with her teenage son Wyatt and young daughter Ella – who was born after Chloe’s death – are clues of an even bigger life change.

Kimberly is now almost unrecognizable from 2019 - her dramatic new look is leaner, blonder, heavier on the eyeshadow, and with floral tattoos wrapped around both her arms. Her lips and cheeks appear to have been artificially-plumped

Kimberly is now almost unrecognizable from 2019 – her dramatic new look is leaner, blonder, heavier on the eyeshadow, and with floral tattoos wrapped around both her arms. Her lips and cheeks appear to have been artificially-plumped 

Exclusive Daily Mail photos show glam Kimberly walking into her office building dressed to the nines for her job as a federal defense attorney in South Bend on Thursday

Exclusive Daily Mail photos show glam Kimberly walking into her office building dressed to the nines for her job as a federal defense attorney in South Bend on Thursday

A surveillance camera grab showing the moment Chloe was dropped to her death. Anello was charged over the horrific incident

A surveillance camera grab showing the moment Chloe was dropped to her death. Anello was charged over the horrific incident 

A year after the divorce was settled, Kimberly started dating Dustin Wilson – an air-conditioning repairman with a history of petty crime.

The father-of-three lives in Hamilton, Michigan, about 80 miles away from Kimberly’s house outside South Bend – a three-hour round-trip.

Dustin, 37, first alluded to the new relationship on September 12 when he posted a photo of a slice of cake and two forks, captioned ‘date night’.

A few days later the couple took a trip to Hocking Hills State Park in Ohio and wrote ‘Kim + Dustin’ with a heart and the date on the side of a wooden structure.

They went Facebook-official on October 7 after a weekend together where Kimberly met her new flame’s family.

Dustin soon shared a player profile on Wyatt written by his hockey team, and a week later went on a ‘mom and son double date’ with Kimberly’s son and his girlfriend.

The double-date went so well that they all went out a second time and posted photos showing Dustin and Kimberly smooching in their restaurant booth.

Other photos on Dustin’s social media showed he has two teenage daughters, one of whom graduated high school earlier this year, and a young son.

Kimberly Wiegand wrapped up for the Midwest winter weather as she arrived for work on Thursday

Kimberly Wiegand wrapped up for the Midwest winter weather as she arrived for work on Thursday 

Wiegand declined to comment to the Daily Mail when asked about her split from her ex-husband, which appears to be an amicable one

Wiegand declined to comment to the Daily Mail when asked about her split from her ex-husband, which appears to be an amicable one 

A year after the divorce was settled, Kimberly started dating Dustin Wilson - an air-conditioning repairman with a history of petty crime

A year after the divorce was settled, Kimberly started dating Dustin Wilson – an air-conditioning repairman with a history of petty crime

The new couple took a trip to Hocking Hills State Park in Ohio in September and wrote 'Kim + Dustin' with a heart at the date on the side of a wooden structure

The new couple took a trip to Hocking Hills State Park in Ohio in September and wrote ‘Kim + Dustin’ with a heart at the date on the side of a wooden structure

Alan is less open about his post-marriage life, but glimpses were shared by the South Bend Police Department - where he celebrates 20 years of service this month

Alan is less open about his post-marriage life, but glimpses were shared by the South Bend Police Department – where he celebrates 20 years of service this month

The oldest daughter, Kat, 18, was raising money to go on a church mission trip last year, according to a GoFundMe created by her mother, Melanie Troost. 

But Dustin’s past isn’t as squeaky-clean as his single dad image. 

He was charged with larceny in 2019 in Michigan and given a one-year probation, as well as being linked to a series of burglaries, theft, and vandalism across a trio of towns in Michigan between November 2018 and April 2019.

Dustin was then handed a five-year probation term in the same year after he was accused of breaking into an elementary school, pleading guilty to possessing burglary tools and malicious destruction of a building over $20,000.

The father-of-three was then charged with three felonies in December 2022 for burglary, possession of burglary tools, and drug possession in Alachua County, Florida – breaching his probation in Michigan. 

How the Florida charges were resolved is unclear.

It is unclear how the couple met, but Dustin’s colorful background is worlds away from his lawyer girlfriend’s strait-laced career and police officer ex-husband.

Alan is less open about his post-marriage life, but glimpses were shared by the South Bend Police Department.

A few posts showed him participating in arrests of suspects, including one in March where he spotted a U-Haul truck full of stolen good escaping a warehouse.

Anello said he did not know the window (pictured) in the children´s play area was open and that he lifted Chloe up to it so she could knock on the glass

Anello said he did not know the window (pictured) in the children´s play area was open and that he lifted Chloe up to it so she could knock on the glass

Chloe fell to her death from the 11th deck of a Royal Caribbean cruise ship after her grandfather held her up to an open window

Chloe fell to her death from the 11th deck of a Royal Caribbean cruise ship after her grandfather held her up to an open window

Alan and Kimberly gave tearful public interviews and sued Royal Caribbean within days of Chole's death, arguing poorly designed windows and a lack of warning notices were to blame

Alan and Kimberly gave tearful public interviews and sued Royal Caribbean within days of Chole’s death, arguing poorly designed windows and a lack of warning notices were to blame

Alan chased down the truck until it crashed and the suspects fled on foot before they were arrested by his colleagues. The bust recovered $61,000 worth of stolen tools.

In January, he and fellow officer Joshua Pennington were commended for using their own money to book a motel room for a family they found living in their car amid freezing temperatures, and bought them basic supplies.

Then in April, Alan and two other officers won awards for saving the life of an 18-year-old man by restarting his heart and breathing with CPR.

Alan reached 20 years at the South Bend PD this month and can look forward to a generous pension when he retires.

Exactly what caused the couple to split is unclear, but it appeared to be an amicable separation.

Court records showed Kimberly asked for Chloe’s bench, her piggy bank and the contents, and a sketch of the toddler from their shared dining room.

Alan requested his tools, guns, gun safe, and various other household items as well as his Buick Enclave SUV.

Kimberly bought out Alan’s share of the 3,076sqft four-bedroom, three-bathroom family home for $277,472 two weeks after the divorce was finalized.

Kimberly's new social media accounts, created around the time she filed for divorce and using her maiden name Schultz, show off her new image in numerous selfies

Kimberly’s new social media accounts, created around the time she filed for divorce and using her maiden name Schultz, show off her new image in numerous selfies

The new couple went on a 'mom and son double date' with Wyatt and his girlfriend in October, posting photos including Dustin and Kimberly smooching in their restaurant booth

The new couple went on a ‘mom and son double date’ with Wyatt and his girlfriend in October, posting photos including Dustin and Kimberly smooching in their restaurant booth

Kimberly's Day of the Dead-inspired Halloween outfit to a party she attended with Dustin

Kimberly’s Day of the Dead-inspired Halloween outfit to a party she attended with Dustin

Dustin's past includes numerous arrests for burglary, theft, and vandalism in 2018, 2019 (mugshot pictured), and 2022

Dustin’s past includes numerous arrests for burglary, theft, and vandalism in 2018, 2019 (mugshot pictured), and 2022

He used some of the money to buy a similarly sized house just three miles away in the same town for $352,500 in November 2024.

The former couple gave tearful public interviews and sued Royal Caribbean within days of Chole’s death, arguing poorly designed windows and a lack of warning notices were to blame.

Their lawyers claimed the cruise giant ‘chose to ignore’ the ‘clear, known’ dangers posed by their windows and instead chose to defend the case by blaming Anello and destroying CCTV evidence, claims which the operator denied.

Judge Graham ultimately sided with Royal Caribbean in July 2021, agreeing that Chloe’s death was solely the result of Anello’s ‘unforeseeable’ behavior.

He ruled Anello would only have had to rely on his basic senses to conclude from the noise, light, and wind that the window was ajar.

But the 11th Circuit Court of Appeals gave the case new life on July 11, 2023, just one day before Kimberly filed for divorce. 

‘When all the evidence is viewed in a light most favorable to the Wiegands, the Wiegands offered enough evidence to survive summary judgment,’ the court ruled, without making any finding on the merits of the case.

The case was sent back to the Florida Southern District Court until the couple, amid their divorce, abruptly withdrew it on December 21, 2023.

Kimberly bought out Alan's share of the 3,076sqft four-bedroom, three-bathroom family home in Granger, Indiana, for $277,472 two weeks after the divorce was finalized

Kimberly bought out Alan’s share of the 3,076sqft four-bedroom, three-bathroom family home in Granger, Indiana, for $277,472 two weeks after the divorce was finalized

Kimberly described her TikTok profile is 'basically just hockey mom stuff' as it mainly consists of highlights of her son Wyatt's (left) matches. Her other social media have photos of her hanging out with him and her daughter Ella (right)

Kimberly described her TikTok profile is ‘basically just hockey mom stuff’ as it mainly consists of highlights of her son Wyatt’s (left) matches. Her other social media have photos of her hanging out with him and her daughter Ella (right)

Kimberly and Alan agreed in their divorce resolution to share custody of their daughter Ella, 5, who was born after Chloe's death. Wyatt is Kimberly's son from a previous relationship

Kimberly and Alan agreed in their divorce resolution to share custody of their daughter Ella, 5, who was born after Chloe’s death. Wyatt is Kimberly’s son from a previous relationship

Disaster struck when Alan and Kimberly were about to embark on a seven-night Caribbean cruise with Chloe’s older brother, fraternal grandparents, and Anello and his wife Patricia.

Haunting on-board camera footage showed the grandfather holding the little girl up to the glass sides of the ship for 34 seconds before she suddenly tumbled through the opening and fell onto the concrete Pan American Pier 2 in San Juan.

Shocked Anello claimed afterwards that he had no idea he was placing her up against an open window because there were no warning signs and he could not distinguish between tinted glass and fresh air because he was colorblind.

However, after he was arrested and charged by Puerto Rican authorities he pleaded guilty to misdemeanor negligent homicide and was sentenced to three years of probation, which he served in his native Indiana.

Despite his admission of guilt the couple continued to blame Royal Caribbean, pushing on with the negligence lawsuit up until their marriage collapsed.

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