In 1982, Dominique Ellen Dunne, a promising actress known for her roles in Poltergeist and Diary of a Teenage Hitchhiker, was brutally strangled by her ex-boyfriend, John Thomas Sweeney.
Despite the heinousness of the crime, Sweeney only served a mere three and a half years for the murder.
Dominique Dunne had all the qualities necessary to become a Hollywood superstar.
She possessed beauty, talent, and an impressive resume, with notable roles in successful films.
However, on October 30, 1982, Dunne fell victim to her violent ex-boyfriend, which left her in a coma.
After being kept on life support, she tragically passed away on November 4, 1982.
Shockingly, Dominique Dunne’s killer, John Thomas Sweeney, received a lenient sentence of just six years in prison.
To add insult to injury, Sweeney even managed to secure a job as a head chef at an upscale restaurant in Santa Monica, California.
When Dunne’s family sought justice and established a victim’s advocacy group, Sweeney had the audacity to claim he was being “harassed” by the grieving family.
This distressing and true account unveils the story of Dominique Dunne’s untimely demise and the perceived denial of justice by her family.
Dominique Dunne’s journey towards stardom seemed destined from the start.
Born into a privileged family, with her father being renowned journalist Dominick Dunne and her mother being an heiress, Dunne had all the advantages.
She also had influential connections, including her novelist uncles, John Gregory Dunne and Joan Didion, and her godmother, who was the daughter of the legendary Hollywood figure Gary Cooper.
Raised in a life of affluence, Dominique Dunne attended prestigious schools, including the renowned Harvard-Westlake School in Los Angeles.
She even spent a year in Florence, Italy, where she honed her Italian language skills.
Upon returning to the United States, she pursued acting, taking classes at Colorado State University and securing roles in films like Diary of a Teenage Hitchhiker and television shows like The Day The Loving Stopped.
However, it was her memorable performance as Dana Freeling in Poltergeist that truly showcased her talent and garnered critical acclaim.
Directed by Stephen Spielberg, the film propelled Dunne into the spotlight, and many anticipated a bright future for her in Hollywood.
Unfortunately, just like the supernatural presence terrorizing her character in Poltergeist, a sinister force entered Dominique Dunne’s life.
In 1981, Dunne met John Thomas Sweeney, a chef at a prestigious restaurant in Los Angeles.
Despite their initial attraction, their relationship quickly turned toxic, with Sweeney becoming possessive and physically abusive towards Dunne.
After several tumultuous incidents, Dunne managed to escape from Sweeney on September 26, 1982, officially ending their relationship.
Sweeney moved out of their shared apartment, while Dunne sought refuge at her mother’s house, changing the locks for her safety.
However, her newfound security was short-lived.
On October 30, 1982, while rehearsing for a TV series, Dunne was confronted at her doorstep by Sweeney.
David Packer, Dunne’s co-star, recalled hearing a scream, a smack, and a thud.
Although Packer attempted to contact the police, he was informed that Dunne’s residence fell outside their jurisdiction.
Fearful for his own life, he confided in a friend, expressing his belief that Sweeney would be responsible if anything happened to him.
Packer then discovered Sweeney standing over Dunne’s lifeless body.
Sweeney surrendered to the police, admitting that he had attempted to kill Dunne and then himself.
He faced charges of attempted murder, while Dunne was rushed to Cedars-Sinai hospital, where she was placed on life support.
Tragically, Dunne never regained consciousness and passed away on November 4, 1982, at the tender age of 22.
During Sweeney’s trial, he was charged with second-degree murder as the judge ruled out premeditation.
Sweeney claimed to have no recollection of the attack besides standing over Dunne’s lifeless body.
While he maintained that they were reconciling, Dunne’s family insisted that the relationship was permanently severed, and Sweeney’s violent act stemmed from his refusal to accept their breakup.
Disturbingly, the judge disallowed testimony from Sweeney’s ex-girlfriend, Lillian Pierce, who revealed previous instances of s**ual assault, physical abuse, and severe injuries inflicted by Sweeney.
Additionally, the court denied Dunne’s family the opportunity to testify about what they had witnessed between Sweeney and their daughter, deeming it hearsay.
Ultimately, the jury convicted John Thomas Sweeney of the lesser charge of manslaughter, carrying a maximum sentence of six and a half years in prison.
The jury foreman later expressed regret, believing that if all the evidence had been presented, Sweeney would have been found guilty of malice murder.
After serving only three years behind bars, Sweeney was released.
His subsequent employment as an executive chef in Los Angeles sparked outrage, prompting Griffin Dunne and other members of Dominique Dunne’s family to protest outside the restaurant, distributing flyers informing patrons of Sweeney’s conviction.
Under mounting pressure, Sweeney resigned, changed his name to John Patrick Maura, and relocated to northern California.
The Dunne family, however, never truly found solace.
Griffin Dunne lamented that had Dominique survived, she would have become a globally recognized actress.
He firmly believed that Sweeney was a murderer who could potentially strike again.
In response to their loss, Lenny Dunne established Justice for Homicide Victims, an advocacy group that she led until her death in 1997.
Dominick Dunne, who was profoundly affected by his daughter’s tragic death, expressed his devastation in a memorial he wrote just one year before his own passing.
He highlighted the profound impact of losing his beloved daughter, stating that he had never fully understood the true meaning of devastation until that moment.
The harrowing murder of Dominique Dunne serves as a chilling reminder of the darkness that can infiltrate even the brightest lives.
