Dominique Dunne had a promising acting career ahead of her. She appeared in TV movies and shows before getting her breakout role as Dana Freeling in the 1982 horror movie Poltergeist. However, her dreams of being a big star were taken away when she was tragically murdered in 1982 at just 22 years old.
Dominique was the daughter of investigative journalist and producer Dominick Dunne, who contributed to Vanity Fair and covered high-profile cases including the Menendez brothers and O.J. Simpson. He also hosted the Court TV series Dominick Dunne’s Power, Privilege, and Justice. Two years after his daughter’s murder, Dominick wrote about the trial in a Vanity Fair feature. Dominick was living in New York when he received a call that Dominique was in critical condition at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in California. He immediately called family members and boarded a plane to be by his daughter’s side.
The night of Dominique Dunne’s attack
Dominique was in a relationship with John Sweeney, a chef she met at a restaurant in Los Angeles in 1981. The two moved in together just a few weeks after they started dating, but the actress’ brothers, Griffin and Alex, said their family disliked Sweeney, with the latter describing him as a “phony, a star f***ing a**-kisser.” It’s safe to say that they were relieved when Dominique ended the relationship due to Sweeney’s controlling behavior and an altercation that turned physical. She told Dominick, “He’s not in love with me, Dad. He’s obsessed with me. It’s driving me crazy.”
On Oct. 30, 1982, just over a month after the breakup, Dominique was in her West Hollywood home rehearsing lines with actor David Packer. The two were set to star in a new Warner Bros. series titled V. Sweeney arrived at the home and Dominique agreed to talk to him on the porch, leaving Packer inside.
According to Packer, he heard yelling and disturbing noises coming from outside, and he frantically called authorities but was told that the location was not in their jurisdiction. He instead phoned a friend and left a message on the answering machine saying, “If I die tonight, it was by John Sweeney.” Packer left the house through the backdoor and outside, he saw Sweeney by the driveway. He told Packer to call the police and when they arrived, he said, “I killed my girlfriend, and I tried to kill myself.”
The aftermath
Dominique had been strangled. She was rushed to the hospital, but her heart had stopped beating by the time of their arrival, and she was put on life support. Dominick wrote in his Vanity Fair feature that his daughter was unrecognizable on the hospital bed; her neck was swollen, her head was shaved, and her eyes were open but lifeless. The family had discussions with doctors, but based on her scans, she had no brain activity and nothing else could be done. She was taken off life support on Nov. 4, just 19 days shy of her 23rd birthday.
Sweeney was initially charged with first-degree murder, but his lawyer argued there was a lack of evidence that showed he planned to kill Dominique. The judge agreed and instructed the jury to consider second-degree murder or manslaughter. In Sept. 1983, the jury found Sweeney guilty of voluntary manslaughter and misdemeanor assault for a prior physical altercation with Dominique. He was sentenced to just over six years in prison for both charges but was released on parole after serving less than three years of his sentence.
After being released Sweeney returned to the food industry and, incredibly, went on to become head chef at a Santa Monica restaurant. Since then he’s kept a very low profile, but in 1987 gave an interview to the LA Times where he said: “I did not do all that much time, considering the crime.” The most recent update we can find is that he’s now the manager of a retirement community in Northern California. Would you leave your grandma in this guy’s care?