John Thomas Sweeney Murders Actress Dominique Dunne
Dominique Dunne before John Sweeney murdered her in 1982. Photo: Wickedness
Famous actress Dominique Dunne was brutally strangled by John Thomas Sweeney on October 30th, 1982, and fell into a coma in the driveway of her West Hollywood home. She passed away on November 4th, 1982. Despite the severity of the crime, Sweeney served only three and a half years in prison for his actions.
Who was John Thomas Sweeney?
John Thomas Sweeney in Court for the Murder of Dominique Dunne
In 1981, while working as a head chef at Ma Maison restaurant, John Thomas Sweeney met Dominique Dunne, and they began dating. They eventually moved in together, but Sweeney's behavior became increasingly abusive, possessive, and jealous, leading to the deterioration of their relationship.
Despite Dunne breaking up with him, Sweeney believed they were still together and continued to act as her boyfriend. He claimed to have gone to Dunne's house to resolve their conflicts, but in the heat of the moment, he ended up strangling her. Sweeney also claimed that they had plans to get married and start a family.
Dunne's family stated that their relationship had ended when Sweeney moved out of her house, while Sweeney maintained that they were still together and living apart to work on their problems.
Who was Dominique Dunne?
Dominique Dunne in her breakout role as Dana Freeling in Poltergeist. ATI
Dominique Dunne was an American actress. She was born on November 23, 1959, in Santa Monica, California, USA to parents Dominick Dunne and Ellen Griffin Dunne. Dominique is best known for her role in the 1982 horror film "Poltergeist" where she played the character of Dana Freeling, Carol Anne’s teenaged sister.
She had also appeared in several other TV shows and films such as “Diary of a Teenage Hitchhiker”, before her untimely death at the age of 22. Dunne's promising acting career was tragically cut short when she was strangled to death by her ex-boyfriend, John Sweeney, in 1982.
John Thomas Sweeney Murders Dominique Dunne
On the evening of October 30, 1982, Dominique Dunne found herself in a heated argument with her ex-boyfriend while rehearsing a scene from V with fellow actor David Packer at her home on 8723 Rangely Drive. Sweeney had shown up and wanted to move back in with her, but Dunne refused.
The argument spilled out into the driveway, where Sweeney forcibly grabbed her by the throat, causing her to fall to the ground. Police were called to the scene, and upon his arrest, Sweeney exclaimed, "I've killed my girlfriend."
Dunne was not dead but was unconscious and was quickly rushed to Cedars-Sinai Medical Center. Although she was stabilized, she remained in a coma for five days until her heart stopped beating on November 4, 1982, at around 11:00 am.
While it was widely believed that her family pulled the plug on her life-support equipment, doctors maintained that she never regained consciousness and simply passed away. Dunne was only 22 years old at the time of her death. She was laid to rest at Westwood Memorial Park in plot section D, L-189, with a gravestone inscription that reads "DOMINIQUE DUNNE, Beloved daughter and sister, 1959-1982, Loved by All."
The Sentencing of John Thomas Sweeney
John Thomas Sweeney being led out of Court after being sentenced for the Murder of Dominique Dunne
During John Sweeney's trial for the murder of Dominique Dunne, it was disclosed that one of the reasons for her decision to break up with him was that he had previously attempted to strangle her.
She became afraid of him and ordered him to leave her house and changed the locks. At the trial, a letter from Dominique to Sweeney was read out loud to the jury, in which she expressed her fear of him and his unpredictable mood swings.
The jury did not hear testimony from Sweeney's ex-girlfriend who had also been subjected to his physical abuse. Despite this, Sweeney was only convicted of involuntary manslaughter, and the judge who presided over the case believed that his actions amounted to murder.
Sweeney was given a prison sentence of 6 1/2 years but was released in 1986 after serving less than four years. He then changed his name to John Maura and relocated to avoid the controversy surrounding Dominique Dunne's death.
John Thomas Sweeney is now working as a rest home chef in the Pacific Northwest.
