When Poltergeist The film’s 1982 premiere left an indelible imprint on the world of horror movies. However, tragedy soon followed the film’s release when news broke that one of its stars, Dominique Dunne, was murdered. Here’s how Dunne’s family has continued to fight for justice.
John Thomas Sweeney, she met her in 1981
Dominque Dunne was the son of Ellen Beatriz, a rancher and Dominick Dunne, a writer. Through her father’s connections in Hollywood, Dunne easily broke into the acting world.
Before she was cast as Dana Freeling, she had extensively studied the art form. Poltergeist. Her performance was highly praised and critics agreed that her future was bright in the industry.
Dunne was, however, struggling behind closed doors in her West Hollywood home. Dunne started a relationship in 1981 with John Thomas Sweeney.
Sweeney started out as a promising sous-chef in the high-end Hollywood restaurant Ma Maison. He worked under Wolfgang Puck. After only a few weeks of being together, Dunne married Sweeney.
RELATED:The Tragic Story of ‘Poltergeist’ Star Heather O’Rourke
It wasn’t long before the couple’s relationship deteriorated. In the months leading up to Dunne’s death, she made multiple attempts to leave Sweeney. After a physical altercation on Sept 26, 1982, she was finally able ending their relationship.
She Died On November 4, 1982
PeopleThis issue was extensively covered by the magazine of Dunne’s murder as the trial unfolded in 1983. According to the publication Dunne was at her house on October 30, 1982 to practice for the miniseries. V With actor David Packer when Sweeney suddenly showed up at her house. Dunne was coerced to talk to him outside by he.
After a heated argument, Packer finally heard the sound of an altercation. He went outside to check and found Sweney kneeling over Dunne. He told Packer to call police. The police arrived and found no mystery. Sweeney had confessed that he strangled Dunne.
Dunne was still breathing when paramedics arrived. However, she was unconscious. She was taken to Cedars-Sinai Medical Center Los Angeles, where doctors discovered that her brain activity had stopped due to oxygen deprivation. Her parents made the hard decision to remove her from life support on November 4.
Sweeney claimed that he did not intend to kill Dunne. He even alleged that after he realized what he’d done, he immediately tried to take his own life by ingesting pills. Although there was little evidence to support Sweeney’s version of events, there was a general consensus that he acted in the “heat of passion.”
Sweeney was a dangerously violent person throughout the proceedings. Sweeney attempted to attack his ex-girlfriend, who claimed that he had also physically abused him.
Eight days of deliberation later, Sweeney was found not guilty of second degree murder. Instead, Sweeney was found guilty of voluntary murder and sentenced to six years imprisonment. Sweeney was freed in September 1986, after only three years and seven month behind bars.
Her Family Continued to Fight For Justice
Dunne’s father, Dominick, was an acclaimed journalist. As a means to turn his grief into action, Dominick documented Sweeney’s trial in a journal.
He eventually published his writings in the intimate article. “Justice: A Father’s Account of the Trial of his Daughter’s Killer,”In the March 1984 issue Vanity Fair.
Dunne’s mother, Ellen, had similar motivations. Justice for Homicide Victims was founded by her.—a victim’s rights advocacy group that’s still active today. After Sweeney’s early release, the Dunne family did everything in their power not to let their daughter’s killer fade into anonymity.
The following is an extract from the LA Times, Ellen Griffin and her son Griffin stood outside a Santa Monica restaurant handing out flyers that contained information to Sweeney when she was hired. “The food you will eat tonight was cooked by the hands that killed Dominique Dunne.”Sweeney couldn’t handle the pressure so he left Los Angeles.
Her father kept tabs on Sweeney for many years
Per the Telegraph, Dominick was contacted by a Florida physician in the mid-’90s who had read his article in Vanity Fair. The doctor explained that his daughter had been engaged to John Sweeney. He feared that this was the man who killed Dominique Dunne.
RELATED:Paul Bateson: A Real-Life Killer Who Appeared in ‘The Exorcist’
They discovered that the man was indeed one and the exact same. Dunne’s brother, Griffin, contacted Sweeney’s fiancée and encouraged her to reconsider.
Sweeney was then able to accuse the Dunne clan of harassing him. He changed his surname and has been able to lead a quiet, peaceful life since then.
At one point in time, Dominick hired a private investigator to watch Sweeney’s movements. However, in a piece written for SlateIn 2007, Dominick explained that he was done keeping tabs on his daughter’s killer.
“I don’t know where he is,”He was insistent. “I don’t want to know where he is… It’s much healthier. I just hope something terrible happens to him before he dies.”