Netflix’s Monsters: The Lyle and Erik Menendez Story sheds light on several real-life incidents connected to its core theme, including the tragic murder of actress Dominique Dunne, daughter of Hollywood producer and writer Dominick Dunne.
Nearly a decade before the Menendez brothers’ trial, Dominique’s murder trial, as shown in Episode 7, left viewers speculating about what happened to her.
How is Dominique Dunne’s Past Connected to the Story?
Born in Santa Monica, California, Dominique Dunne was the youngest of Ellen Beatriz “Lenny” and Dominick Dunne’s children. She attended prestigious schools such as Harvard-Westlake in Los Angeles, the Taft School in Connecticut, and the Fountain Valley School in Colorado.
Dominique later spent time in Florence, Italy, where she developed her personality and refined her skills in art and Italian. She further honed her acting craft at Milton Katselas’ Workshop, setting the stage for a promising career.
Dominique made her debut in 1979 with Diary of a Teenage Hitchhiker. Her career advanced with roles in TV shows like Family, Fame, and Lou Grant. Her big break came in 1981 when she was cast as Dana Freeling in the popular horror film Poltergeist.
This role brought her mainstream attention and a growing fan base, leading to her being cast to reprise her role in Poltergeist II: The Other Side.
Unfortunately, Dominique passed away before the filming of Poltergeist II. Her final acting role was in the 1983 miniseries V.
How did Dunne’s Tragic Death Shape their Fate?
On October 30, 1982, Dominique Dunne was murdered by her ex-boyfriend, John Thomas Sweeney, at her West Hollywood home. That day, she was rehearsing lines with actor David Packer for their upcoming show V when Sweeney unexpectedly appeared.
Packer remained inside while Dominique went out to speak with Sweeney. After a short time, Packer heard a loud thud and called the police, only to be told that the house was outside their jurisdiction.
Fearing for Dominique’s safety, Packer left a chilling message on a friend’s answering machine, saying, “If I die tonight, it was by John Sweeney.” When Packer finally left the house, he saw a horrifying sight—Sweeney kneeling over Dominique, who was unconscious in the driveway. When the police arrived, Sweeney confessed, saying, “I killed my girlfriend, and I tried to kill myself.”
Dominique had been strangled during an argument with Sweeney. She was rushed to Cedars-Sinai Medical Center and placed on life support. After five days in a coma, her family made the devastating decision to remove her from life support on November 4, 1982. Dominique was only 22 years old.
What Happened In and After the Trial?
John Thomas Sweeney was charged with second-degree murder. However, public outrage erupted when Sweeney was released after serving only two and a half years in prison. His early release enraged Dominick Dunne, who was devastated by the loss of his daughter.
In his grief and anger, Dominick hired private investigator Anthony Pellicano to track Sweeney’s movements after his release. Dominick even considered taking extreme measures to seek justice for Dominique’s murder.
In his own words, he said, “I truly went through a period of wanting to hire somebody. I know, it seems absurd now… But I worshipped my daughter. I just became obsessed with this guy getting out of prison. I wanted harm to come to him.”
Eventually, Pellicano convinced Dominick to abandon his plans for revenge. Despite this, he continued to track Sweeney’s movements, warning his future girlfriends about his violent past.
Dunne’s grief over Domonique’s death was an overarching factor that influenced him to be involved in the Menendez brothers’ trial.
Feeling the loss of a father who had lost his daughter to a violent crime, Dunne deeply felt a personal connection to the prosecuting party in the Menendez trial, even though the circumstances of both the cases were visibly different.
The story about the Menendez brothers presents references to Dominique’s case to showcase how interconnected and personal the impact of a crime can be, drawing parallels between Dunne’s pursuit of justice in the context of their own case.
The tragic story of Dominique Dunne now serves as an alarming reminder of the lasting impact of a violent crime on the people around the victim and the offender, and also points out to the chinks in the armor of the criminal justice system.
About Monster
Monster is an American biographical crime drama anthology television series created by Ryan Murphy and Ian Brennan for Netflix. Murphy and Brennan both serve as showrunners. The series follows the lives of “monstrous figures”, with each season following a different killer or killers.
The first season, The Jeffrey Dahmer Story, focuses on serial killer Jeffrey Dahmer (Evan Peters), and released on Netflix on September 21, 2022. The series was initially conceived as a limited series, but was renewed for a second and third season in November 2022. The second season, The Lyle and Erik Menendez Story, focuses on the murder case of the Menéndez brothers (Nicholas Chavez as Lyle Menéndez and Cooper Koch as Erik Menéndez), and released on September 19, 2024. In September 2024, the third season was announced to be focusing on killer Ed Gein (Charlie Hunnam).
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