Monsters Revisiting Dominique Dunne’s Murder 40 Years Later: What You Need to Know

Netflix Monsters re-examined Dominique Dunnebrutal murder during her father’s exploration Dominick Dunneconnection with the infamous Menéndez brothers case.

In the seventh episode, which aired on Thursday, September 19, viewers learn why writer Dominick Dunne (Nathan Lane) was personally touched by Lyle (Nicholas Alexander Chavez) and Erik Menéndez (Cooper Koch) murdering their parents.

“My ex-wife and I had two daughters before Dominique, but they both died in infancy. That made Dominique our miracle daughter — our angel. We always assumed she would bury us. That’s the way it was supposed to be,” the fictional Dominick explained when footage of his daughter being taken off life support was shown. “I was convinced that this was going to be the hardest part of this whole ordeal and our whole lives. But I was wrong. It was much worse watching the trial of (her murderer) John Sweeney and how the defense tried to portray him as the victim.”

Dominick covered Menéndez’s murder trial in 1993, after the brothers were charged with killing their parents, José and Kitty. Erik and Lyle were initially tried separately because they claimed years of physical, emotional and sexual abuse led them to shoot their mother and father.

The case ended in a mistrial because the jury was unable to reach a unanimous decision. A retrial began in 1995, with Erik and Lyle being tried together. They were ultimately found guilty of first-degree murder and sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole.

Both on the show and in real life, Dominick covered the high-profile trial Vanity fair while he mourned the loss of his daughter. Seven years before the Menéndez brothers killed their parents, Dominique was strangled by Sweeney. She fell into a coma and died five days later. Sweeney was convicted of premeditated murder and served three and a half years in prison.

“That’s why I never believe a word a defense attorney says,” Lane added, as Dominick added in a scene in Monsters. “(They’ll do anything to help their client.) Even if it means desecrating the memory of the real victims, which is like murdering them a second time.”

Scroll down to learn more about Dominique’s case and where Sweeney ended up after being released from prison:

Who was Dominique?

The deceased actress was the youngest child Ellen Griffin Dunne and Dominick. She made her screen debut in Diary of a Teenage Hitchhiker before getting roles Family AND Escape. She rose to fame after appearing in the 1982 horror film Poltergeist as Dana. The last roles she played before her death that same year were Shadow Riders AND Fries.

What was the history between Dominique and Sweeney?

The couple began dating in 1981 after meeting at a party. Dominique and Sweeney moved in together a few weeks later, but their relationship was plagued by problems. According to those close to Dominique, they argued frequently, and in August 1982, Sweeney’s physical abuse culminated in her ripping out handfuls of her hair. Dominique ran to her mother’s house, and Sweeney followed her. He demanded to be let inside before Ellen threatened to call the police on him.

Dominique and Sweeney reconciled a few days later. In September 1982, they had another argument, during which Sweeney tried to strangle her hair before a friend intervened. Sweeney denied trying to kill Dominique, who left their home. Dominique ended the relationship after the incident and remained in their home while Sweeney moved out.

How did Dominique die?

In October 1982, Sweeney showed up at Dominique’s house while she was rehearsing her lines with other stars. David PackerDominique agreed to talk to him on the porch, but after hearing strange noises, Packer ran out and saw Sweeney kneeling over Dominique’s unconscious body.

Sweeney admitted to police when they arrived that he had killed Dominique and tried to harm himself. In his statement, Sweeney recalled arguing with Dominique but claimed he had no memory of what happened or of strangling her.

Dominique, who was placed on life support, never regained consciousness due to lack of oxygen. Her parents took her off life support after doctors confirmed she had no brain activity.

What was the outcome of the Sweeney trial?

Sweeney was arrested and charged with attempted murder, but the charge was upgraded to first-degree murder after Dominique’s death. Sweeney, who pleaded not guilty, was later charged with assault with intent to do great physical harm after admitting to an earlier incident when Dominique was hurt during an argument. Sweeney, however, denied that she had attacked Dominique and instead said that she had accidentally received bruises on her face and body during the fight.

During the trial, the prosecution called one of Sweeney’s ex-girlfriends, Lillian Pierceto testify that one of his alleged attacks left her with a punctured eardrum and a collapsed lung. Judge Katz granted a motion to declare Pierce’s testimony inadmissible, and the jury only learned of her comments after the trial.

Sweeney was acquitted of second-degree murder but found guilty of a lesser charge of intentional homicide. He was also convicted of misdemeanor assault for a September 1982 incident between him and Dominique and was ultimately sentenced to six years in prison for manslaughter, with an additional six months for the assault charge.

What happened after the verdict was announced?

Sweeney served two and a half years of a six-and-a-half-year sentence before he was released on parole. He got a job as a chef at a California restaurant before Dominique’s family — including her brother Griffin Dunne — he protested outside the venue until he finally gave up and moved out of Los Angeles.

Griffin revealed in his June 2024 memoir, Friday Afternoon Club: Family Memoriesthat an extra on the set had previously suggested that Sweeney be murdered in prison. Griffin considered it for 24 hours but ultimately said no.

According to Dominick, the family initially hired a private investigator to follow Sweeney. Last they heard, he was still working as a chef under the name John Maura, but Dominick eventually stopped asking for updates.

Before his death in 2009, Dominick wrote about Dominique’s murder trial Vanity fair based on diaries he kept throughout the ordeal. He was originally a Hollywood producer known for films such as the 1970s Boys in the band and 1971 Panic in Needle ParkIn addition to covering the Menéndez trial, Dominick wrote about O.J. Simpson trials in 1995 and Phil SpectorTrial in 2007.

Dominique’s mother, Ellen, and activist Marcella Leachwhose daughter Marsalee Nichols was murdered in 1983, she co-founded the nonprofit Justice for Homicide Victims in honor of her daughters.