How Is Dominique Dunne Connected to the Menendez Brothers? Her Family, Death and More Explained

Netflix’s Monsters: The Lyle and Erik Menéndez Story centers around the titular brothers’ 1989 killing of their parents, José and Mary Louise “Kitty” Menéndez, and the trial that followed. However, the true crime drama also led to a resurfaced interest in the 1982 murder of actress Dominique Dunne, as Nathan Lane appeared in Monsters as Dominique’s father, Dominick Dunne. Many fans were left wondering how Dominique and her murder case were connected to the Menéndez brothers.

Who Was Dominique Dunne?

Dominique was born in Santa Monica, California, to parents Dominick, a writer, producer and actor, and Ellen Beatriz “Lenny” (née Griffin), a ranching heiress, in November 1959. Like her father, Dominique pursued an acting career and made her on-screen debut in the 1979 TV movie Diary of a Teenage Hitchhiker. She then landed roles on the shows Family and Breaking Away in 1980.

Dominique’s big break came in 1982 when she starred as teen daughter Dana Freeling in Poltergeist. This led her to land a leading role in the 1982 film The Shadow Riders and star in the crime series CHiPs that same year. She was set to star in the Poltergeist sequel before her death.

Unfortunately, Dominique’s career was only just beginning to take off when she was killed. At the time of her death, she was in the process of filming the sci-fi miniseries V. The show was released in her memory in 1983.

What Happened to Dominique Dunne?

Months before her death, Dominique was in a relationship with sous chef John Thomas Sweeney, whom she met at a party in 1981. The pair had a whirlwind romance and moved into a rented house together within a few weeks of dating. However, John allegedly became aggressive and physically abusive. On August 27, 1982, he allegedly grabbed Dominique by her hair and pulled so hard that some of it came out from the root. Dominque fled to her mother’s house, where John allegedly followed and banged on the windows and doors, insisting he be let in.

John eventually left, and Dominique returned to her home a few days later. However, another incident allegedly occurred a few months later where John strangled Dominique. A neighbor heard the struggle and intervened, allowing Dominique to escape in her car. Dominique ended the relationship following the domestic dispute.

One month later, on October 30, 1982, John showed up at Dominique’s home while she was rehearsing lines with V costar David Packer. She agreed to speak to him outside while David remained inside, but the conversation became violent. David called the police after hearing smacking, screams and a thud on the ground. John had strangled Dominique to the point of unconsciousness.

After initially being told that Dominique’s house was out of the police’s jurisdiction, David went outside, where John told him to call the police again. Upon their arrival, John met the police in the driveway and said, “I killed my girlfriend, and I tried to kill myself.”

Dominique was transported to Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles, where she was placed on life support. However, she did not regain consciousness. Her parents gave consent to have her removed from life support on November 4, 1989. She was 22 years old at the time of her death.

What Happened to John Sweeney?

John was initially charged with attempted murder, but the charge was dropped and replaced with first-degree murder after Dominique’s death. He pleaded not guilty, and his lawyers argued that he did not plan to hurt his ex-girlfriend. A judge granted John’s lawyer’s request to change his charge to second-degree murder or manslaughter.

The jury ultimately acquitted John of second-degree murder charges and found him guilty of voluntary manslaughter, as well as assault for the incident that took place in September. He was sentenced to six and a half years in prison. John was released on parole after serving two and a half years.

John was hired as the head chef at a Santa Monica restaurant following his release, but he quit after protests led by Dominique’s family and left Los Angeles.

How Is Dominique Dunne Connected to the Menendez Brothers?

Dominique’s father, who died in 2009, began focusing on his investigative journalism career after his daughter’s death. He specialized in crime and covered the trials of O. J. Simpson, Claus von Bülow, Michael Skakel, William Kennedy Smith, and the Menéndez brothers. His coverage of Lyle and Erik’s trial for the murder of their parents played a huge role in their case becoming such a media sensation.

Dominique’s brother, Griffin Dunne, described his father’s journalism as “not terribly unbiased” due to his own experiences as someone who lost a loved one.

“If he wrote about Phil Spector, he talked about Lana Clarkson and not as a third-rate actress, as the media continue to describe her,” Griffin told People in June 2024. “Or during O.J., he sat with the Browns and Nicole’s family… he always looked at it from the rights of the victim.”