Dominique Dunne's death

The judge was an idiot.

It is a little creepy that both she and Heather O'Rourke are buried in the same cemetery.

In the 1980's, a friend's half- sister was murdered by her estranged husband (he strangled her to death in front of their two children), the husband served a mere seven years. He was later sent back to prison for guess what?

Stalking and beating his ex-girlfriend.

On the site that OP linked, there is another link to a website where there's discussion about finding her killer now living and working in northern CA. The people posting on there are scary. They're doxxing and practically stalking him not that I don't think he didn't serve nearly enough time, but wow they're really obsessed.

This is why the sentences that everyone moans about now became so harsh in the 90s. People were sick of seeing killers go free and the victims rights movement was born as a reaction to it.

I just found out that those were real skeletons at the end of Poltergeist. They cursed that set.

I remember the E! True Hollywood Story special on the Poltergeist Curse and I thought Dominque's death was the saddest mainly because of the outcome.

One would think that Dominick Dunne was rather well-connected, no? Surprised the killer of his daughter could get off scot-free.

The killer.

Doesn't the killer have an alias and works as a chef somewhere?

I thought he went back to jail a few more times

Apparently she guest starred in an episode of Hill Street Blues, playing a battered girlfriend, but barely needed any makeup since Sweeney had already beat her in real life.

Hey, Dataloungers!!!

The curse!

She was also in a TV western movie "The Shadow Riders" (1982), playing one of the kidnapped sisters of Tom Selleck, Sam Elliott and Jeff Osterhage. Also starred Katharine Ross, Ben Johnson, Jane Greer and Harry Carey Jr.

That was done the same year she did "Poltergeist" and the same year she was killed.

It's because women's lives aren't valued much in our society. Kill em, beat em, rape em, stalk em, if you can wait out the statute of limitations (except for murder, obvsly), you're home free. If you can't, 3-5 years ought to do it. I didn't realize it until I read it a few times, but pregnant women are the highest at risk for murder. What a wonderful world, eh?

bump

I'd never fully read Dominick Dunne's piece about her death and trial, what a shit show. I'd like to hope some things have changed since the early 80s but I'm probably fooling myself.

I forget if it was in the trial itself but an effective demonstration of the brutality of the murder was when the prosecutor explained how many minutes you need to choke someone before she dies, and then he set the timer and was quiet for seven or so minutes as the court room imagined a large man choking the life out of the petite woman. And yet his sentence wasn't much.

Women get the message loud and clear. They are not as important as men and men get to kill or stalk or rape one or two and get away with it.

I am surprised that icy wench, Joan Didion, has never written a piece about the murder or trial, interjecting herself into the middle of it all somehow.

Did anyone know Dominique in real life. She lived in WEHO and was friends with everyone. She and George Clooney became good friends in acting class. George told Dom's dad that Sweeney was following him and Dominque at the Beverly Center, and they started to run and Sweeney ran after them. I wish George would have punched him instead. A lot of people knew how crazy this guy was and they dropped the ball with Dominque .

R20 Joan did mention it in The Year Of Magical Thinking. I am reading the book right now and there is a part where Joan is visiting the hospital where Dominique is on life support, she mentions it as it supports her thoughts on the transition from alive to dead--black and white. The book is mainly about the deaths of her own daughter and husband. I am reading it because my mother is dying and I seem to be drawn to anything that deals with what happens after.

R22, I know it sounds stupid and cliched, but hugs. I mean that sincerely.

R16 and yet men die at a much younger age than womem, Men are 4 TIMES as likely to be homicide victims than women etc

Don't let facts get in your way

[quote][R16] and yet men die at a much younger age than womem, Men are 4 TIMES as likely to be homicide victims than women etc

I don't get it, R24. It's not like women are to blame for these two facts.

R25 women obviously aren't, I'm just posting that men die more and much younger than woman ,look at the predominantly MALE victims of our wars through the years, so to claim "women's lives aren't valued as much as men's" is asinine and ridiculous

Also almost ALL the homophobic murder and beatings is directed at (perceived) gay MEN, most people don't give two shits about lesbians or are turned on by it, but MEN doing gay stuff upsets society in nasty, violent, crazy ways

I wonder how much the murderer would have gotten if it had brown skin..

R27 I don't know, how much time did O.J. do?

There is a lot of credence to the Poltergeist curse. You don't desecrate the dead, especially when the moral of the movie was just that!!

[quote][R25] women obviously aren't, I'm just posting that men die more and much younger than woman ,look at the predominantly MALE victims of our wars through the years, so to claim "women's lives aren't valued as much as men's" is asinine and ridiculous

Your argument does not negate what R16 wrote. Both things are true.

R28 Was Domique’s killer also a world famous nfl player?

I always thought it a great irony that Dominic Dunne died the same day as Ted Kennedy, which basically stole his death thunder. He hated the Kennedy's, basing his book A Season in Purgatory on the Michael Skakel murder case and was a massive name dropper, so that probably would have stung, (except he was dead so it probably didn't.)

I like reading his pieces in VF, most of it was just gossipy fluff stuff but there were some interesting articles there too.

Hugs from me too R22, we went through that with my mother last year too and it isn't easy. I hope there's someone there to help you through it, and be kind to yourself. xx

Jesus, what a shitshow

[quote]To establish a history of Sweeney's violent behavior, the prosecution called one of Sweeney's ex-girlfriends, Lillian Pierce, to testify. Pierce, who did not testify in the jury's presence at the request of Sweeney's attorney, stated that Sweeney and she had dated on-and-off from 1977 to 1980. Pierce claimed that during the relationship Sweeney had assaulted her on 10 occasions and she was hospitalized twice for injuries he inflicted on her. During one such assault, Pierce sustained a perforated eardrum and a collapsed lung. She later suffered a broken nose. During Pierce's testimony, Sweeney became enraged, jumped up from his seat, and ran towards the door leading to the judge's chambers. He was subdued by two bailiffs and four armed guards. Sweeney was handcuffed to his chair and began to cry. He apologized for the outburst; Judge Katz accepted the apology. Attorney Michael Adelson requested that Judge Katz rule Pierce's testimony inadmissible as it was "prejudicial". Judge Katz granted the request and the jury never learned of Pierce's testimony until after the trial. Katz also refused to allow testimony from Dunne's mother, Ellen Dunne, as well Dunne's friends, ruling their statements "hearsay".

I can’t blame people wanting to dox that little shit.

You always hear about Dominick Dunne and Dominique Dunne but never the mother, Dominatrix Dunne.

What about Dominique Dawes? Is she related?

Thanks R23 & R32, I had someone to talk to but as time goes on he seems to be withdrawing and my family have begun fighting amongst themselves. I know this would be a different thread, but if anyone has any suggested reading material or other resources for individuals coping with the impending loss of loved one, it would be greatly appreciated.

She was so pretty. A dream girl . He was abusive almost from the inception of their relationship. Dominique was 21 when she met Sweeney at a party( friends said he made a beeline towards her) Sweeney was her first boyfriend. She was so vulnerable and trusting. I hate him!

She had bedroom eyes.

Judge Burton S Katz. Retired and now a mediator.

Her dad was responsible for destroying Katz’s career. Katz rulings were so egregious. I am glad he was thrown off the bench

The first year during trial, he was housed in the Beverly Hills jail. That’s a nice jail with lots of amenities. They counted that as time served. He then went to a minimum security prison where there were tennis courts and served I believe 2 yrs there. It’s so unfair to Dominique’s memory.

Dominique was infatuated with Italy . She spoke Italian well. She loved cooking and animals.

Sweeney was built like a linebacker. Dominique was petite and could pass for a young teenager. He attempted to strangle her before while she had friends spending the night! That was the deal breaker. She finally ended it. He got away with murder.

Heather O’Rourke’s death was suspicious also. Something very wrong about the details.

I agree r45

A link to the article about Heather...

Heather was an exquisite child. I can see her being the pedophiles top choice. She and Dominique were close on set of poltergeist . When Heather’s parents told her that Dominique died, she took it extremely hard.

Jo Beth William said that Dominique has a "great light in her" Jo Beth has has been very outspoken on her murder, the travesty of her trial and anger at Packer.

She was also childhood friends with producer Robert Wesler who won the best pic Oscar this year. Griffin Dunne was his date, I kid you not. Griffin said best friends. Robert was a pallbearer at Dominique’s funeral.

Vince Neil of Motley Crue only did 30 days for vehicular homicide.

Charles Wesler of Greenbook

I read Dominick's article about her death years ago. It was infuriating. The judge was useless.

People today decry draconian prison sentences, but part of that was areaction to the light, overly lenient sentences of the 1970s and 80s.

Her dad would tear up when he talked about Dominique. He also showed total justifiable rage at the killer as well as the judge and defense attorneys. Her last words to Mr Dunne the night before she was strangled “ I love you daddy”. 😭

I pray Sweeney is not in a relationship with a woman. He has not changed.

Sweeney was ugly

E! True Hollywood Story did the definitive episode on this, back when THS was the best show on.

[quote]People today decry draconian prison sentences, but part of that was a reaction to the light, overly lenient sentences of the 1970s and 80s

People decry harsh sentences for non-violent drug offenses; I don't think society would be offended by life in prison for murder (except the murderer of course).

I wish E THS would put her episode(which was their first) back on YouTube or allow you to purchase it on Amazon .

The Dominick Dunne documentary on Amazon and Griffin Dunne's recent doc on Joan both mention that Joan and her husband John Griffin Dunne were pals with Leslie Abrams, the murderer's defense attorney. JGD even dedicated a book to her around the time of the trial. Meanwhile, they basically abandoned Dominick and clearly didn't care much about the murder, with JGD implying Dominick should have never pushed for a jury trial in the first place.

I can't imagine that kind of betrayal, all just because JGD and Joan were starfuckers.

* Abramson, not Abrams

[quote]R9 The killer.

He's no HotTopPop

“While the vast majority of homicide victims are men, killed by strangers, women are far more likely to die at the hands of someone they know,” according to the report. “Women killed by intimate partners or family account for 58 percent of all female homicide victims reported globally last year, and little progress has been made in preventing such murders.”

John Gregory Dunne, gah.

I also boffed the details about the attorney. Seems like John amd Joan were friends with Abramson, who also suggested Dominick just let the murderer plea and not push for a trial, but she didn't take the case because she knew JGD and Joan and felt it was a conflict.

Lots of details about it and other astonishing examples of Joan and JGD being assholes here.

r65, I truly believe that JGD was extremely jealous and resentful for reasons not clear(although I have a couple of theories ) of his "sissy" older brother Dominick . He and JDD would go eat out at MA Maison during the trial . They betrayed their niece Dominique terribly . Leslie Abramson is a loathsome cunt. She would refer to Dominick during the Menendez (sic) trial as "the little queen" She is a ruthless bitch.

It's interesting that Dominick outlived his younger brother . The brothers reconciled during the last year of JGD's life. Dominick was a forgiving man with A LOT of DRAMA in his life.

Bump

R61 Joan and her JGD Dunne were icy unpleasant people. I have seen their personality type time and time again among highly successful intellectuals/ writers. In theory they are very perceptive and understanding of the human condition and can describe life in the most eloquent ways. But they are so cold, detached and lacking in any human warmth they're actually repulsive . Also tend to be intensely negative individuals in the way they perceive others. Always quick with a snide comment or perception about their acquaintances. Self critical on the surface but basking with self adoration and narcissism on the inside. Too bad for Quintana.

Dominique was like a big sister to Quintana. .. Dominique’s intermediate family were grandiose and high society, but also were kind and loving.

Immediate damm

I was just talking about Dominique’s death a couple days ago with a friend in her early 50s who *just saw* Poltergeist for the first time last week. I asked her if she knew about Dominique’s death, and she hadn’t. Funny how this thread popped up at the top of the DL feed tonight.

Anyhoo, can someone explain the “fuck-you” dance move Dominique’s character does in Poltergeist, seen at R13? What’s the origin of it? What’s it called? What’s with the outstretched arms? And is it an Italian or Italian-American thing that Dominique could have improvised, considering that she was particularly interested in Italy?

Thanks.

Quintana and Dominique were close. Dominique was like a big sister. Quintana needed that warmth in her life. Her behavior after her murder was disappointing

Strange that didion wrote an entire book on Quintana after she died considering how little interest Joan had in her when she was alive.

Bump

A documentary on this case would be a great way of upsetting the killers cosy life. Come on Netflix.

America used to be like Europe. Life was very cheap. You could easily kill someone and probably get away with it. If for some reason the cops did arrest someone for murder, they were likely to only get a short sentence

I never understood her role in Poltergeist. She was the daughter of the family, yet she barely appeared in the movie. I remember the scene where the house was collapsing and the rest of the family was escaping in their car. She ran up and yelled that she wanted to go to her friend's house and left. The rest of the family went to a motel. Was she just hired as a favor to someone?

Partly her character is underdeveloped comic relief, I think, but she got lost in all the other dark family humor moments.

She's also there to sort of anchor the timeline, because without a teen character you'd wonder why parents that old only had one very young kid. She's also a contrast to the younger daughter in that she's cynical, at an age where she doesn't want or need family, and too old to have imagination that would explain what we later learn is a poltergeist.

For a long time now, I've suspected that judges, who are overwhelmingly well-educated men from the middle classes, are extremely lenient with well-educated male criminals from the middle classes.

Short sentences at country-club prisons, no matter who they assault or kill, or how many millions they embezzle. They're treated like "non-violent criminals", even when, as in this case, they're horribly violent.

r78 Don't forget that, according to lore, teenage girls who have begun to menstruate "coax" the Poltergeist(s) into action.

Guys, I'm the one who lives down the lane from where this rotten cunt works. I'm still trying to plot my revenge without getting thrown in the clink myself. I WILL PREVAIL!

For real, R81?

r82 For fucking real. You will find me at the thread below, and pretty much any other Dunne thread.

[quote]Meanwhile, they basically abandoned Dominick and clearly didn't care much about the murder, with JGD implying Dominick should have never pushed for a jury trial in the first place. I can't imagine that kind of betrayal, all just because JGD and Joan were starfuckers.

Weren't they both prescription drug addicts? I think it was either in New Yorker or Vanity Fair where I read their bathroom medicine cabinet during the '70s and '80s was a cornucopia of all sorts of pharmaceuticals.

Also read that JGD was incredibly cold and mean to Quintana. IIRC, he would request some sort of writing from the teenage Quintana and tear it apart at the dining room table.

Dominick, for all of his faults--and by his own admission he had many--was NOTHING compared to his truly odious brother and sister in law. He was at least self-aware, unlike those two pompous, self-aggrandizing toads.

[quote]For a long time now, I've suspected that judges, who are overwhelmingly well-educated men from the middle classes, are extremely lenient with well-educated male criminals from the middle classes.

Case in point, Brock Turner, the Stanford rapist. Despite the testimony of two credible eye witnesses and a preponderance of physical evidence, he was sentenced to six months in the Santa Clara County jail. He only served half the time and had the temerity to appeal his conviction, presumably so he wouldn't have to register as a sex offender. The judge in this case was voted out, as well.

Wasn't part of the defense strategy to present Sweeney/Maura as a poor working class kid who got caught up in a relationship snooty upper class girl? If he has resentments against people with money, he's working at a facility in Marin County which is one of the most expensive areas in N. California and is full of seniors with means. Those sorts of retirement communities aren't cheap anywhere, San Rafaeil more so.

Her father comes across as very gay to me. Like, no question about it.

r87 Later in life, by, like, his own, like, admission, like.

New to this subject, I see.

^^^Did he really end up coming out? Like, for real? I'm serious. I don't follow this shit.

I just googled. I didn't see anything about him coming out. Not that he needs to. I know he's gay. So obvious always.

R89 Yes, he did. Though in a half-assed fashion I have to admit (I'm celibate, wait, I'm bi! Etc.) He pinged from space, it was embarrassing for him to not say anything for so long.

R90 Well, yes, he's dead now and all that.

From the Salon article linked above:

In one letter of confession to John, written in November 1979, Dominick came out as a gay man. He wrote of going to a retreat called the Advocate Experience in San Francisco. It offered est-like therapy for gay men and lesbians, advising them to disclose their true sexual orientation to family and close friends. In that letter, Dominick told John about one telling episode from their youth. At their father’s wake in 1947, when his mother and five siblings were grieving, Dominick left the family to have sex with a college student named Andreas Devendorf in the family’s big black Buick parked near the ninth hole of the local golf course. Dominick also mentioned Didion’s novel "Play It as It Lays" in the letter to John. He doubted that Joan would be surprised at his “I’m gay news” since she had based the BZ character on him, Dominick believed.

He was heartbroken when John, a few weeks later in his 1979 Christmas letter, made no mention of Dominick’s coming out.

Early the following year, Stephen Dunne, their youngest sibling,

How do guys like him, who are so obviously gay, have sex with women? How do they get erect? And produce children! It blows my mind. haha.

I've always wondered that too, r93. And they didn't even have hard-on pills in those days.

I think the late Mr. Dunne actually loved his ex-wife, but, he was indeed a gay man. In the last few months of his life, Dunne came out as a bisexual celibate, despite the fact he had a long-time boyfriend who stated they were sexually active until Dunne's last illness.

R94 Right! I once asked a feminine gay I worked with how did he used to fuck girls when he was in the closet and he said because it was sex. So he was turned on regardless he said. But, sometimes I lose my erection if I'm with a hot good looking guy and the sex turns out to be boring and he's bad in bed so I can't even imagine faking it with a woman.

Dominique slightly pings to me. Her favorite actress at the time of her death was Kristy McNicohol . Dominique and Kristy had great chemistry on an episode of “Family” when Dominique was a guest star

Same, r97 I wonder if that cunt fuck (I refuse to use any of his names) wasn't extra enraged by that.

R98, he would get jealous of every scene partner she had / male or female

R71, I loved that little “fuck you” dance. I think the little thumb flick off the teeth is Italian. (As is the flick from under the chin, but she didn’t do that. But it’s a similar gesture. Haven’t seen anyone do that since I was a kid.).

Are abusers like Sweeney usually good in bed? I would imagine they are not that into sex, like it rough.

Sweeney, the killer is an evil bastard.

Bump for justice

[quote] I just found out that those were real skeletons at the end of Poltergeist. They cursed that set.

If that were true then JoBeth Williams and Craig T. Nelson and Steven Spielberg would be dead.

They are not.

Dominique was darling and pretty

R37: check out "The Wheel of Life, A memoir of Living and Dying" by Dr. Elizabeth Kubler- Ross. ... maybe from your library. My deepest sympathies on your mom's transitioning.....it is incredibly difficult to lose a parent, no matter how old or young you are when it happens.

Dr. Kubler-Ross also wrote "On death and Dying".....she was considered an expert on these matters. The 1st book I mentioned is more of a biography but still good. Just check her out on the net...... Take Care of yourself.

A good resource. Also, if you click on the above link it will take you to the site with NO issues. why it showed up the way it died i have no idea.

Her death and subsequent ludicrous trial destroyed her family. It was beyond devastating

Anyone here who knew Dominique or worked with her?

Dominique was really talented. She would have been a star ⭐️

Wolfgang Puck paid the murderer's attorneys' fees.

Bump

Good grief, he really did, R111. Was it really that important to Puck that his former assistant chef not do TOO much time after strangling a woman to death?

He must work pretty hard to keep that quiet. It's not 1983 anymore and people aren't that forgiving.

She looks like she was a real sweetheart. Here she is with her mother—who was already in a wheelchair :(

So sad...

How did Griffin react to losing his sister? Did it majorly impact him?

Dominick with little Dominique—so adorable; losing her must have broken his heart to pieces.

Griffin and her other brother Alex were deeply affected by Dominique's death. Alex, suffered a nervous breakdown during trial. He told his dad that he couldn’t be in the courtroom with Sweeney. He and Dominique were exceptionally close . Griffin said that the bitterness of her murder and Sweeney getting a slap on wrist never leaves him..

R115, Dominique was his only daughter . He said he worshipped her. He said their relationship was “perfect “

She was quite lovely; it’s sad that some piece of shit got away with killing her in cold blood and showing no remorse. Disgusting miscarriage of justice in this case.

The details of the murder trial posted here on this DL thread have completely shocked me. I had no idea sentences for murder (and of a tiny, famous young actress at that) were so light and inconsequential as if it was no big deal...

I really did not think that that happened in the U.S. I thought we were *always* “tough on (violent) crime” here. This story is nuts.

Dominic and his two sons seriously mulled over getting revenge. They compromised by having Sweeney tailed by a P.I. Griffin called Sweeney’s fiancé and told her what happened and she broke off the engagement. This was early 90s I believe.

Awww, R116 and R117, those details are fucking *tragic*! Thank you for the info. And she was the only daughter too?! Poor Dominick and wife and poor brothers :(

Dominique had a sister who died in early infancy also named Dominique born a year before Dominique. She had another sister born 3 years after her and died shortly after birth of same lung disease that killed the first Dominique.

[quote]called Sweeney’s fiancé and told her

Oh, dear!

Whaaaaat, R121? That’s all real?!? That particular part of the Dominique/Dunne family history is so crazy and dramatic, it sounds like something right out of a Daphne du Maurier novel!

Yes, sadly it’s real 😩

Both baby daughters had hyaline membrane disease, basically underdeveloped lungs. It's hardly fatal nowadays but a few decades ago it was a serious problem.

Yeah right

[quote]She looks like she was a real sweetheart. Here she is with her mother—who was already in a wheelchair :(

What ailment caused her mother, Dominatrix Dunne, to be chair bound?

Was she still able to wield a leash and riding crop in such a state?

I think it was MS R127.