Dominique Dunne // 550

Summary

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Going West: True Crime

Episode 550 – Dominique Dunne
Release Date: October 31, 2025
Hosts: Daphne Woolsoncroft & Heath Merryman

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Overview

For their Halloween episode, Daphne and Heath explore the tragic 1982 murder of Dominique Dunne, a promising actress and star of the classic horror film Poltergeist. This case intertwines real-life horror with Hollywood myth, delves into domestic violence, and unpacks the subsequent injustices and the infamous “Poltergeist curse” said to have haunted the film’s cast. The hosts provide heartfelt storytelling, historical detail, and critical analysis, making the episode both a sobering tribute and a chilling cautionary tale about the perils lurking behind the glamor of Hollywood.

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Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Dominique Dunne’s Life and Career

• Dominique Dunne, born November 23, 1959, was the daughter of Lenny (a ranching heiress) and Dominic Dunne (a TV producer and writer).
• Grew up in Beverly Hills alongside brothers Griffin (well-known actor) and Alex.
• Attended elite schools, studied art in Florence, Italy, then returned to LA to study acting with Milton Katselas – “she was in great hands with Milton” (Daphne, 07:48).
• Broke out with her role as Dana Freeling in Poltergeist (1982), following early TV and film roles.

2. Meeting John Sweeney – The Descent Into Abuse

• Dominique met John Sweeney, an ambitious sous chef, in 1981 at age 22 – the relationship became serious quickly and they soon moved in together.
• Sweeney appeared charming but soon became possessive and abusive.
• August 27, 1982: A violent outburst led Dominique to flee to her mother’s house. Sweeney stalked her even there.
  • “He pulled large clumps of [her hair] out by the root... that scared her so bad that she fled as quickly as she was able...” (Daphne, 10:45)
• Her family was instantly suspicious of him, her brother Alex especially noting that Sweeney was "scary" after reacting violently to an interaction with a fan in a NY restaurant.
  • "[John] picked this fan up and shook him... [Alex] only described John Sweeney as scary." (Daphne, 15:41)

3. Escalating Violence and Consequences

• September 26, 1982: Sweeney strangled Dominique in another attack. She escaped by climbing out a bathroom window.
• She broke up for good, told her father: “He’s not in love with me, dad, he’s obsessed with me. It’s driving me crazy.” (Teeth, 20:02)
• The day after this, she filmed Hill Street Blues as an abuse victim – “the bruises on her face in this show... not makeup by any means” (Teeth, 21:47).

4. The Night of the Murder (~23:30–31:00)

• October 30, 1982: Dominique, at home rehearsing lines with actor David Packer, refused a request from Sweeney to see her that night.
• Sweeney showed up, insisted on talking, and an argument began outside.
• Neighbors heard screams as Sweeney strangled Dominique in the driveway – “He is doing this in public, essentially.” (Daphne, 26:13)

Reactions and Rescue Attempts

• Packer saw the attack from inside, called a friend first (“if I die tonight, John Sweeney is the one who did it”, Daphne, 26:26), and then called police.
• By the time police arrived (c. 10 min later), Sweeney was kneeling by Dominique; she was alive but unconscious.
• Sweeney confessed on the spot:
  • “I killed her. I didn’t mean to kill her. I just meant to talk to her.” (Teeth, 29:45)
• Dominique never regained consciousness and was taken off life support on November 4, 1982, just before her 23rd birthday.

5. The Trial & Outrageous Injustice (31:40–40:00)

• Sweeney’s defense: Claimed he “blacked out,” didn’t mean to kill Dominique.
• Autopsy: She was strangled for at least three minutes – “plenty of time to stop yourself or reconsider your actions.” (Teeth, 35:05)
• Sweeney’s ex-girlfriend testified (out of jury’s hearing) about prior abuse, including assaults landing her in hospital – but her testimony was withheld from the jury.

The Verdict and Aftermath

• Charges reduced; jury convicted Sweeney only of voluntary manslaughter (not murder) and misdemeanor assault.
  • “John Sweeney was sentenced to only six and a half years in prison.” (Daphne, 37:50)
  • Actually served only two and a half years.
  • “People serve more time for smoking weed. What?” (Daphne, 39:36)
• Dunne’s family protested, holding public demonstrations when Sweeney resumed work as a chef, handing out flyers:
  • “The food you will eat tonight was cooked by the hands that killed Dominique Dunne.” (Daphne, 40:12)

Family’s Grief and Advocacy

• Griffin Dunne described the rage and temptation for vigilante justice:
  • “We decided not to kill him, but to mess him up, to have his hands smashed...that was just the beginning of our madness. It carried right through. Even writing it down, I thought, I’ve gotta let this go because you can’t live in hate.” (Teeth, 41:14)
• Lenny Dunne founded Justice for Homicide Victims; Dominic Dunne became a high-profile true crime writer who advocated for victims.

6. The Poltergeist Curse: Coincidence or Myth? (44:30–52:11)

• The episode explores Hollywood’s “curse” legends—actors from Poltergeist experienced several misfortunes in quick succession:
  • Real skeletons used in film’s prop work:
    • “Later, Jobeth Williams said, ‘I always assumed that the skeletons were made by the prop department…No, those were real skeletons. That really grossed me out.’” (Daphne, 47:30)
  • Dominique Dunne murdered (1982).
  • Heather O’Rourke (Carol Anne) died at 12 from misdiagnosed illness (1988).
  • Other cast deaths: Julian Beck (cancer), Will Sampson (complications after transplant).
• “The so-called Poltergeist curse feels less like a supernatural mystery and more like a tragic series of coincidences. Reminders that behind every film, every headline, every urban legend are real people with families, dreams, and futures that were cut short.” (Teeth, 51:11)

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Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• “More often than not, the scariest stories don’t actually come from the screen, but instead, they come from real life.” (Teeth, 02:01)
• “He’s not in love with me, dad, he’s obsessed with me. It’s driving me crazy.” (Dominique to her father, reported by Teeth, 20:17)
• “The food you will eat tonight was cooked by the hands that killed Dominique Dunne.” (Griffin & Lenny Dunne’s protest flyer, 40:16)
• “I just lost my temper and blew it again.” (Sweeney to police, quoted by Teeth, 34:29)
• “This is a case pure and simple of murder, murder with malice.” (Judge Katz, quoted by Daphne, 38:17)
• “Even writing it down, I thought, I’ve gotta let this go because you can’t live in hate.” (Griffin Dunne, reported by Teeth, 41:14)
• “The true horror of this story lies not in the paranormal, but in the very real loss that still lingers decades later.” (Teeth, 52:11)

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Timeline of Important Segments (Timestamps)

• 03:08 – Introduction to Dominique Dunne’s background
• 07:55 – Dunne’s early acting career and landing Poltergeist
• 10:36 – Meeting Sweeney and the onset of abuse
• 13:10 – Family’s suspicion of Sweeney; red flags
• 19:33 – Escalating violence, Dominic’s attempts to break away
• 21:47 – Dunne’s bruised appearance on Hill Street Blues
• 23:27 – The night of the murder: Sweeney attacks Dunne
• 31:40 – The trial begins and Sweeney’s defense
• 35:04 – Prosecution reveals pattern of Sweeney’s abuse
• 37:50 – Sweeney’s sentence and the jury’s verdict
• 40:16 – Dunne family’s retaliation, restaurant flyer protest
• 41:13 – Griffin Dunne’s struggle with rage and justice
• 44:46 – Transition to “Poltergeist curse,” myths, and tragedies
• 47:13 – Real skeletons used in filming Poltergeist
• 48:58 – Heather O’Rourke’s misdiagnosis and death
• 51:11 – Reflection on the reality of loss vs. Hollywood myth

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Final Thoughts

Daphne and Heath deliver a gripping, sensitive, and well-researched account of Dominique Dunne’s murder and the shadow it cast over Hollywood, the Dunne family, and true crime history. The episode serves as both a somber cautionary tale about domestic abuse and a deconstruction of myth (the “Poltergeist curse”), always centering on the real victims behind the legends.

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Content warning: The episode contains discussion of domestic violence, murder, and failures of the judicial system.

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For more true crime stories, subscribe to Going West: True Crime. New episodes every Tuesday and Friday.

Transcript

[Daphne]

Rachel Sennett has a new HBO original series called I Love la. Rachel is the breakout star from Bottoms and Shiva Baby and is now the creator and star of this new HBO comedy. Filmed in Los Angeles, this show follows a young ambitious friend group navigating life and love in the city. Along with Rachel, I Love LA also stars Odessa Azion, Jordan Firstman, Josh Hutcherson, and True Whitaker. Don't miss the world premiere of I Love LA tonight at 10:30pm exclusively on HBO Max. Subscription required. Visit HBOMax.com for details. Ever since switching to T Mobile, something weird has been happening. I get to cut lines.

[Teeth]

Oh, right this way.

[Daphne]

Who, me? I can stream shows at 30,000ft and I was able to buy reserve tickets for my favorite band.

[Teeth]

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[Daphne]

Maybe it's time to turn up the heat.

[Teeth]

Or turn it down. It's time for something that's not too spicy. Try Doritos Golden Sriracha. Spicy, but not too spicy. What is going on, true crime fans? I'm your host, Teeth.

[Daphne]

And I'm your host, Daphne.

[Teeth]

And you're listening to Going West.

[Daphne]

Yes. Happy Halloween, everybody. For this special Halloween episode and episode 550 of Going West. We made it. We will be exploring a devastating true crime case, but also this string of other eerie and heartbreaking events tied to one of the most famous horror movies of all time.

[Teeth]

Yeah. And it just really proves that more often than not, the scariest stories don't actually come from the screen, but instead, they come from real life.

[Daphne]

So true.

[Teeth]

So for anybody listening, the day that this episode comes out again, Happy Halloween. We love you guys. Grab some candy, maybe even a spiked apple cider, and let's get into today's story. All right, guys, this is episode 550 of Going West. So let's get into it.

[Daphne]

In October of 1980, a rising young actress from a prominent Hollywood family was preparing for her next role, fresh off a breakout performance in one of the year's biggest horror films. But just months after the movie's release, her promising future was cut short in a shocking act of violence outside her West Hollywood home. And strangely, it was the first event linked to a string of tragedies connected to the very block buster she appeared in that year. This is the murder of Dominique Dunne in June of 1982. Director Tobe Hooper, who famously directed the Texas Chainsaw Massacre eight years earlier.

[Teeth]

And also one of my favorite movies, the Fun House.

[Daphne]

Yeah, he's kind of an icon. Had yet another box office hit release in theaters, a movie called Poltergeist, which was written and produced by Steven Spielberg.

[Teeth]

Also one of my favorites, also an iconic.

[Daphne]

And for those who haven't seen it, the story settles around a suburban California family, the Freelings, A family of five with a teenage daughter played by Dominique Dunne, an eight year old son and a five year old daughter whose idyllic life is upended when their home becomes haunted by malevolent spirits. What begins with strange, almost playful occurrences quickly escalates into terrifying supernatural events, culminating in the abduction of their young daughter Carol Ann through a portal to another dimension. Now, as we said in the intro and the header track, we do have a true crime story for you today. That is the primarily what we're going to be talking about today that is connected to Poltergeist because one of the film stars is the victim. So let's dive into her story first today. Dominique Ellen Dunn was born on November 23, 1959 in Santa Monica, California to parents. Ellen, well, she went by Lenny, we're going to call her Lenny today, and Dominic Dunn. So it seems like they turned her dad's name into Dominique and then put her mom's name as her middle name. Dominique Ellen, she grew up in Los Angeles alongside her two brothers, Alex and Griffin, specifically in Beverly Hills. And I'm talking about Griffin Dunn, who is a well known actor that has been in a ton of movies like from playing Jack in An American Werewolf in London, which actually came out the year before Poltergeist, to being in Darren Aronofsky's Caught Stealing starring Austin Butler just this past summer, if you saw it, such a great one. He played Paul, who is the bar owner. So he's got a very diverse.

[Teeth]

He's versatile.

[Daphne]

Yeah, diverse catalog. So Griffin and of course Dominique gravitating to acting made a lot of sense because their family was in the industry while their dad was, because her mom was actually a ranching heiress. But Dominic was a TV stage manager, a producer and later a writer. In fact his brother's wife, so his sister in law was Joan Didion. So lots of connections, lots of familial interest in the arts and entertainment industries. But throughout Dominique's childhood, although she spent a lot of time in la, like I said, in Beverly Hills, she also attended the esteemed Harvard Westlake School in Studio City.

[Teeth]

Ooh, I know where that's at.

[Daphne]

You do? It's still teeming with industry kids to this day. She did later live in Watertown, Connecticut and Colorado Springs, Colorado. Even after graduating from Fountain Valley School in Colorado, she didn't jump right into acting. First she actually moved to Florence, Italy to study art. There. She learned Italian as well and stayed for about a year. And then she moved back to Los Angeles to study acting with Milton Catsellis, who coached hundreds of actors, including George Clooney and Michelle Pfeiffer to name a couple. So she was in great hands with Milton, beginning with various stage productions.

[Teeth]

But she was quickly able to come over to TV and film because the first on screen role that Dominique landed was in 1979 at the age of 19 and it was for an ABC TV movie called Diary of a Teenage Hitchhiker, which she actually co starred in. Now following this appearance in 1980, she landed various supporting roles in TV shows like Hart to Hart and Fame before getting her biggest role yet. And just two years into acting on screen, the role of Dana Freeling in the supernatural horror movie Again, Poltergeist. So this was a really big deal. Again, we've got major names involved like Steven Spielberg and Tobe Hooper. I mean, the film would go on to be a major success, becoming the eighth highest grossing movie of the year. And of course I know that we all know how big Poltergeist is, but to give you guys kind of a modern example in 2024, Twisters is listed on many sites as the 8th highest grossing film of that year. So yeah, really great for Dominique's career. But before the film even released, someone would come into Dominique's life that would change the course of her fate. I mean, it single handedly snatched away her ability to go on to be the star that she could have become the year before. In 1981 was when Poltergeist was filmed and it was filmed in Simi Valley and Agoura Hills so she could stay kind of local in Los Angeles county while filming. So that year, 22 year old Dominique was at a party and she met a sous chef named John Sweeney. We're going to be talking a lot about John Sweeney today. Now, John, who was three years older than Dominique, so about 25 at this point, worked at a very well known since closed restaurant on Melrose called Maison, working under Wolfgang Puck. It was constantly packed with celebrities like Elton John, Jack Nicholson, Ringo Starr, Marlon Brando, just to name a few. So he's this up and coming chef working at the right place. And then you've got dominique filming a 2B blockbuster. And they hit it off very well. And they hit it off so well, in fact, that it can only be described as a whirlwind romance. Because within only a few weeks of meeting each other, they rented a house together in la. And I want to mention that some reports claim that she was already living there and that he simply just moved in, while others say that they rented it together. But either way, by the winter of 1981, 22 year old Dominique and 25 year old John Sweeney were now living together.

[Daphne]

Yes. And their house is described as a modest one bedroom house again on a charming suburban street, Rangley Avenue in West Hollywood. And like Heath is saying, their relationship seemed great at first until John Sweeney's true personality started to come out, showing a controlling, abusive person. And within a few months of this behavior kind of popping up, you know, very suddenly and aggressive, getting worse and worse, it became too much to ignore. Although none of the abuse was ever reported to police. On August 27, 1982, two and a half months after poltergeist released in theaters, as Dominique's life was shifting for the better career wise, she and John got into a bad argument. And during this argument, John allegedly grabbed Dominique so hard by her hair, throwing her to the floor, that he pulled large clumps of it out by the root. And this scared her so bad that she fled as quickly as she was able to escape him to her mother's house. By this point, her parents, Lenny and Dominic, had split up. Her mother, Lenny was living in Beverly Hills, which is where Dominique and her brothers grew up when they were living in LA and her father was living in New York. So she headed to neighboring Beverly Hills, taking refuge at her mom's and telling her what happened. But John knew where her mom lived and showed up banging on the doors and windows, demanding they let him in. Of course, Lenny refused to let him in, threatening that she would call the police if he didn't leave. So he left. And by the way, Lenny was struggling with multiple sclerosis at this time or ms, and she was wheelchair bound and in poor health, which was very hard on the whole family and her at this time. Well, after this, just a few days later, Dominique left her mom's house and returned to her own house in West Hollywood that she shared with John. Of course, by this point, after hearing about John and how he was abusive to Dominique, her family instantly became worried about Dominique's safety and they already were not John's biggest fans, just so you guys know. Like, they. They didn't outwardly have issue with him. It's not like there was any fighting or any big tiffs. But her father later said that he always felt there was something, quote, off putting about him.

[Teeth]

I mean, yeah, this guy is an abusive piece of shit. Like, there's. I mean, any family member that has to deal with. With one of their loved ones going through a relationship like this, it's always heartbreaking and it's always so hard because there's not a ton that you can.

[Daphne]

Do personally, of course, because it's not your choice, right? But even before the abuse started, like, when they first met him, they just had a really weird feeling about him. And actually Dominic and Lenny could tell from the jump that John was much more devoted and interested in Dominique than she was in him. Like, just being around them together, they were like, oh, he seems, like, really into you, and you feel a little bit, you know, more at bay with the whole situation. But they seem to be getting somewhat serious. Obviously, you know, they live together. But her brothers even joked to her about marriage when she brought John to New York in the summer of 1982. So a couple months before this first big abusive scenario occurred so that Dominique could introduce John to her father and her brothers, who all lived in New York City. But actually, her brother Alex was the most open about his feelings for John Sweeney from the start. He didn't like him from the first time they met, and it seemed like he saw John's true colors from the first night that they met, because after their father Dominic had left the restaurant that night, because they all had dinner together. Dominique, Dominic, her dad, John Sweeney, and then Dominique's two brothers, Alex and Griffin, they all had dinner at this restaurant in New york City called P.J. clark's. And after Dominic the dad left, brother Alex witnessed something that disturbed him. I couldn't figure out if Griffin was there when this occurred, but we know at least Alex was. So he and his sister Dominique were at their table that they ate at. And since Poltergeist had just come out a couple weeks earlier, a man noticed her and called out one of her lines from the movie that has since become iconic. It's when she's outside her family's home and she's looking up at the glowing lights coming from inside and she screams, what's happening? And the way she says it is like she delivers this line so well. She screams it. She's so afraid. Clearly, in this scene, so this is a very iconic line. And this guy comes up to her, he's harmless, he loves the movie, and he's talking to Dominique while her boyfriend John is in the bathroom. Her brother Alex said there was nothing flirtatious in their conversation, this is just a fan, but that when John came back to the table to see them talking, he became enraged and he picked this fan up and shook him. And it was after this that Alex only described John Sweeney as scary. Foreign has a new HBO original series called I Love la. Rachel is the breakout star from Bottoms and Shiva Baby and is now the creator and star of this new HBO comedy. Filmed in Los Angeles, this show follows a young, ambitious friend group navigating life and love in the city. Along with Rachel, I Love LA also stars Odessa Azion, Jordan Firstman, Josh Hutcherson and True Whitaker. Don't miss the world premiere of I Love LA tonight at 30pm exclusively on HBO Max. Subscription required. Visit HBOMax.com for details.

[Teeth]

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[Daphne]

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[Teeth]

Oh, right this way.

[Daphne]

Who me? I can stream shows at 30,000ft and I was able to buy reserve tickets for my favorite band.

[Teeth]

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[Daphne]

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[Teeth]

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[Daphne]

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[Teeth]

Now, to everyone else in the family, from what they had witnessed, he was just off and strange. Like they just couldn't connect with him. But Dominique, when she went back to her house, intentionally or unintentionally went back to him. And it was only a few weeks until another domestic dispute occurred on September 26, 1982, and this time with John strangling Dominique. Now, there's a couple different reports here, so I want to mention both of them. Some report that a friend was staying with them and heard loud gagging sounds and ran into their bedroom. And while Dominique told the friend that John was trying to kill her, John just basically downplayed this, telling the friend to just go back to bed. Other reports state that a neighbor heard her gagging and tried to intervene and help her out. But either way, Dominique was able to get away. She went into the bathroom, escaped out the window, and started driving away in her car. But John saw her leaving and literally jumped onto the hood of her car. And that was that. Dominique had had more than enough, so she finally broke things off with him and kicked him out of the house. Changing the locks, she told her dad simply, he's not in love with me, dad. He's obsessed with me. It's driving me crazy. Now, the day after this happened, Dominique was set to film an 80s cop show called Hill Street Blues. And in the show, she played a young woman named Kathy, who was a victim of abuse, escaping a tumultuous relationship. So it was kinda crazy how that was mirroring her actual life at this point. But when she went into film in late September of 1982, right after John beat and attacked her, she had visible bruises on her face in this show. And this was not makeup by any means. Like, she literally went in there and knew that she had these bruises at the hands of John and said, hey, this actually is gonna work for this role. Which is crazy to think about. So if you ever see that scene, those are her real bruises.

[Daphne]

Yeah. It's disturbing to even say this, especially knowing that it's real. But we will post a screen grab from that episode just so you guys can see, because I do think it's important to see, especially because she went on camera like this and. And it really goes to show you the extent of this abuse, because these bruises are bad.

[Teeth]

Yeah. And by the way, this episode of this show actually aired one month after her death later that year. But yeah, she had purple bruising under her eye and on her nose, chin and lips. So like Daphne just said, these are really bad bruises. And by the way, the reason why these bruises are visible in this show is because she told the makeup department not to cover them up because she thought they fit her character. And sadly, this is the last time that she ever appeared on screen. So, yeah, this was incredibly hard for her family to witness because they loved her so deeply, of course. But also to note, two daughters came before Dominique and both individually died within days of birth due to complications. So finally, successfully giving birth to a healthy daughter was such an incredible moment for her parents over two decades earlier. And they knew that she had this immensely big heart, which may have made it easier for John to kinda sneak in there because she cared for wounded things. And John was obviously a very troubled human being. Like she was the person who collected stray animals to give them a home with her father, later noting that within her menagerie were a cat with a lobotomy and a large dog with stunted legs.

[Daphne]

So sweet.

[Teeth]

You know, this is just the caring, emotional person that Dominique was. But one month later, everything would come to a head on Saturday, October 30, 1982. So the day before Halloween, she had recently earned a role in the NBC sci fi miniseries called V. And she was in her West Hollywood home running lines with her co star, which was 20 year old David Packer, who was a very handsome and up and coming actor.

[Daphne]

And remember, this is only a month after she and John broke up. She's probably still emotionally reeling from that, probably still worrying about him and if he's gonna do something, especially considering the fact that she told her dad she knew he was obsessed with her. So that night, the night before Halloween, at about 8:30pm, while she and David were running lines in her living room, John Sweeney called Dominique at her home, asking to see her. But she said no, that she was rehearsing lines with a friend. Unfortunately, all this really did was confirm to John that she was home. So around 10 minutes later, he showed up at her house, his former home of almost a year. He insisted Dominique speak with him, but maybe, I would guess, since she had company, she reluctantly agreed to speak with John outside, where a violent argument ensued. Now, it was known that he wanted to reconcile and get back together, obviously which she had no interest in doing after seeing the terrifying and horrific person he truly was. And even from inside the house, David Packer could see them arguing. And he sat by and listened until minutes later, it escalated. Around this time, multiple neighbors reported hearing screams, or they later reported hearing screams and sounds of a scuffle as John strangled Dominique in her driveway. And I just want to mention again, this is not a remote area or a house with a long, private driveway. This is a small house. This has a short driveway. It's right out there on the street. It's happening right in front of the whole street, in front of numerous homes.

[Teeth]

But I will say that at 8:30pm, you know, in LA, in October, it's already dark. So that's the only thing that would kind of give John Sweeney some cover from being in the busy city, strangling his ex right there.

[Daphne]

And Saturday night, the night before Halloween, West Hollywood, a lot of people are probably also out partying. That would be the night to celebrate Halloween, most likely for most people.

[Teeth]

Sure.

[Daphne]

So, yeah, it could make sense as to why. I mean, obviously people were around and they did report later hearing it, but it's still crazy that he is doing this in front, like, in public, essentially.

[Teeth]

Yeah.

[Daphne]

So when David Packer heard signs of distress, he looked out the window and saw John on top of Dominique as he strangled her. But instead of calling police just yet, he first called a friend in New York and told them, if I die tonight, John Sweeney is the one who did it. Obviously, this bit is a little frustrating. We can't be sure if he didn't call police then or even sooner, obviously, because he was young, 20 years old, and he didn't know how to react, but he clearly knew it was serious enough to tell his friend that. And then he called the police, explaining what he was seeing. John trying to kill his friend Dominique, allegedly. The operator told David to stay inside to keep Himself.

[Teeth]

Safe. Safe.

[Daphne]

But it's left many to wonder if he had gone outside, if he'd been able to save her. It's. It's such a hard topic, though. It's. It's hard to even discuss because, like, we're saying, he's 20 years old. Maybe he panicked, maybe he didn't want to intervene and noticed too late that it was getting violent. And we obviously can't blame him for her death, but I do know that her brothers were very angry with him, knowing that he was technically there and didn't stop it. Like her brother, Griffin Dunn, the actor later wrote a memoir that released just last year in 2024, titled the Friday Afternoon Club, a Family Memoir, where he mentions his rage at David for this very situation. Also, there is, weirdly, I want to say, a lot of conflicting reports in this case because some sources say that he called police before calling the friend. But if he had to stay on the phone with police, as they suggest you do, I believe more so that he called the friend first. You know what I mean?

[Teeth]

Yeah. And like you're saying, it is very hard to blame him for this situation. Obviously, he doesn't know if John Sweeney has a knife or a gun or whatever.

[Daphne]

He also probably couldn't imagine that his friend was going to actually be murdered. Like, you don't really think that's going to happen.

[Teeth]

Yeah, especially. Yeah. It's kind of one of those things where it's like, if you saw something right in front of you, you might not believe your own eyes. You know, you might be like, oh, that's not. That's not like a serious thing. Or it's not dangerous.

[Daphne]

Yeah. Or like, oh, he seems to be getting a little violent. Okay, I'll call police in case it gets worse. Not actually thinking, oh, my God, he's literally killing her.

[Teeth]

I mean, I do think that the thing to do would have been to, you know, call out the window, you know, or something, or call out the door, open the door slightly and say, hey, I'm on the phone with the police. Get the fuck out of here, or whatever, something. But it's like, you know, nothing was really gonna stop John Sweeney from doing what he wanted to do.

[Daphne]

And, yeah, maybe it's just a hindsight 2020 situation. I can't imagine that David doesn't think about this to this day.

[Teeth]

I'm sure he does. Yeah. So at this point, police have the name John Sweeney already in their heads as they pull up to Dominique's West Hollywood home, arriving about 10 minutes later, and Actually, John didn't even leave the scene. He was kneeling next to her body when they pulled up. But the situation, of course, was very complex because she was still alive, unconscious, but she had a low pulse with clear signs of strangulation already appearing around her neck. Right then and there, 26 year old John Sweeney told them, I killed her. I didn't mean to kill her. I just meant to talk to her. As 22 year old Dominique was rushed to Cedars Sinai Medical center less than a mile away, desperate to save her life, John was arrested for attempted murder. Sadly, she was placed on life support and never regained consciousness. Her brothers and father rushing from New York the next day to be with her, and her mother coming in in her wheelchair. Again, she was in poor health, just all hoping that she would get through this somehow. But after several days with no brain activity due to oxygen deprivation, they made the unthinkable decision of removing her from life support on November 4, 1980, two weeks before her 23rd birthday. So after this, John Sweeney's attempted murder charges were dropped, and he was then charged with first degree murder, to which he of course, pleaded not guilty to. Like, I don't even how know how you plead not guilty when there's literally a witness and you told, you're right there standing over her body and you told police, I killed her.

[Daphne]

They always try that.

[Teeth]

They always got to try something. Not shocked, stupid asshole.

[Daphne]

But also, as we're gonna see, it's not just that he's denying doing it. He's mostly denying the first degree murder charge. He's saying, I did not go there to kill her. But we'll get into that.

[Teeth]

Well, after Dominique's kidneys and heart were donated at the request of her mother, her funeral took place on November 6th at the church of the Good shepherd in Beverly Hills. And she was then buried in Westwood Village Memorial Park Cemetery.

[Daphne]

Less than a year later, In August of 1983, the trial for her murder began with John taking the stand in his own defense, testifying that, like I just said, he had not meant to harm or kill Dominique that night, but instead that he wanted to move back in. And that they were having daily discussions about getting married and having kids together. Yeah, right.

[Teeth]

Yeah. Things that did not happen.

[Daphne]

And he said the reason that he got upset enough to kill her was because she had told him in her driveway that she had changed her mind and that she had actually been lying the whole time. I do kinda wonder if this part is true or somewhat true, like if she was kind of goading him thinking that it was the safest thing to do, kind of maybe to buy her time. But I will say her family disputed this, saying that Dominique explained to John that their breakup was permanent. Also, I don't think that we can really believe this guy. And either way, it is no justification for him to get upset enough to physically assault and murder her. But that is what he is trying to justify here. He literally said that it made him so mad that he, quote, exploded, and then essentially that he blacked out. Because he also initially claimed during his testimony that he doesn't remember actually strangling her, but that he came to when he was on top of her doing it, when she wasn't breathing anymore.

[Teeth]

Yeah, I don't believe any of that. Again, they'll try anything.

[Daphne]

Literally. He even admitted to trying to make her stand up to walk it off, but that she was completely limp and just fell to the ground. So he tried to give her cpr. When that didn't work and he realized she was likely dead, he went into her house and apparently swallowed a bunch of pills, which are believed to be prescription barbiturates, in an attempt to take his own life, and then went back outside and laid next to Dominique, hoping the pills would take effect and he could die with her. Even David Packer testified to this, saying while he was terrified and hiding in a locked room in her house, while he was on the phone with 911, that John came through the door and said something like, I've killed Dominique. I didn't mean to. But instead of dying with her, John apparently vomited. Though there is no physical proof that he really did take any pills that night.

[Teeth]

The first officer on the scene was a man named Deputy Frank d'. Amelio. And he testified that at the scene, calm and cool John Sweeney said, man, I blew it. I killed her. I didn't think I choked her that hard, but I don't know. I just kept choking her. I just lost my temper and blew it again.

[Daphne]

Blew it is an understatement when you literally murdered her.

[Teeth]

Yeah. It's not like you screwed up on a math test, you weirdo.

[Daphne]

Or like, that's like something where you're.

[Teeth]

Like, oh, I blew it. I blew my test.

[Daphne]

Yeah. Or, oh, like, I was too much of a dick in our relationship. Like, this is far beyond that. Like, get. Get into reality.

[Teeth]

And, I mean, also in his testimony, he says that he blacked out, you know, and he was on the stand trying to get out of taking responsibility. And this officer is testifying that he took full responsibility and that he was awake and aware of what he was doing and the fact that he was choking her.

[Daphne]

Yeah.

[Teeth]

Well, regarding her autopsy after she was taken off of life support, it was determined that Dominique was strangled for at least three full minutes, which the prosecution argued was plenty of time to stop yourself or reconsider your actions. And sadly, this behavior of John's was habitual because Dominique hadn't been. The first girlfriend that he had abused. Brought to testify as well was his ex girlfriend, a young woman named Lillian, who explained to the court that they had dated on and off again between 1977 and 1980, their relationship ending the year before he met Dominique. And that during that 3ish year period, he had assaulted her on at least 10 different occasions, two of which actually landed her in the hospital with a perforated eardrum, a collapsed lung and a broken nose.

[Daphne]

Let's be clear here, only losers beat women or their partners or people.

[Teeth]

Yeah. And this guy was clearly the biggest fucking loser. And his instability was even proven right there for everyone to see. Because during her testimony, John became so enraged that he leapt up from his seat and started running towards the judges chambers before he was stopped by six people. But because they had to keep the trial going, they had to put him back in his seat, handcuffed now as he cried. But her testimony was actually withheld from the jury, which was completely devastating for the prosecution because it didn't allow the jury full context as to how John was as a person to women and just how generally dangerous this guy was.

[Daphne]

That pisses me off so much. But get ready to be even more pissed off because during the trial, John's defense attorney requested that the charges be lessened from first degree murder to manslaughter or second degree murder, as there was not enough evidence to prove that John Sweeney had gone to Dominique Dunne's home that evening with the purpose of murdering her. And it was agreed upon. But even worse, the jury acquitted him of second degree murder as well, finding him guilty only of manslaughter, voluntary manslaughter, and misdemeanor assault. So as you can imagine, the Dunn family was absolutely beside themselves at this. And they revolted as much much as possible, calling it an injustice. Because on November 7, 1983, one year and three days after Dominique was pronounced dead, John Sweeney was sentenced to only six and a half years in prison.

[Teeth]

I think you should just throw the judge in prison at that point, you know what I mean?

[Daphne]

Like fuck this judge.

[Teeth]

That's a horrible injustice.

[Daphne]

Yeah. And this part Kind of surprises me based on, on, you know, these decisions that he made throughout the trial, like leaving out Lillian's testimony, et cetera. But the judge was apparently outraged alongside the family at the jury's decision, saying, quote, this is a case pure and simple of murder, murder with malice.

[Teeth]

Okay, then sentence him to the rest of his fucking life in prison.

[Daphne]

But a lot of people also, even if it was, you know, obviously it's up to the jury, but it's like he made some really shitty decisions on what was being thrown out. And it's really annoying that he said this because a lot of people, including me, did not believe that this was like a pure hearted statement from him. Like, many rolled their eyes at this because of the fact that important details were kept from the jury. And had they been privy to such details, this probably most likely would have led them to convicting him of murder. The family was especially upset with Judge Katz. That's his name. With Dominic Dunne yelling at him in court. Not for our family, Judge Katz, after Judge Katz said that he believed the judicial system had been upheld in Dominique's case. So, yeah, he's given some seriously mixed messages. What a horrible sleaze. I mean, this whole case is just so upsetting. By the way, the restaurant Maison paid for John's legal fees. And oh yeah, guess what? John only served two and a half years of his six and a half sentence.

[Teeth]

Jeez, man. What? I just can't even believe. Two years for literally taking the life of another human being.

[Daphne]

People serve more time for smoking weed. What? And then he was hired. This guy got a job. He was hired as a head chef at an upscale Santa Monica restaurant. But this next part is so badass. When the Duns found out that he was working there. And imagine how upset they are at all these details. Like we're mad. Imagine how mad her family is when they found this out. Her mother, Lenny and her brother Griffin went to the restaurant and they handed out flyers to diners outside that read, quote, the food you will eat tonight was cooked by the hands that killed Dominique Dunn.

[Teeth]

Damn, that is bad. I do love that.

[Daphne]

That's so cool, right? They even staged protests outside that cornered John enough to quit and move out of LA altogether. Allegedly changing his name to John Mora and moving to Seattle where he continued to work as a chef. But the current location of this stalking, murdering, 69 year old loser is unknown.

[Teeth]

Well, it's. It's pretty clear that the Dunn's are badasses. And I wanted to note this because Griffin has spoken in such depth about his feelings on what happened to his sister that night, including that during the trial, a mobster approached him explaining that he could kill Jon and that Griffin actually considered it with his brother Alex. Which is just like. So even the mob's like, hey, we noticed that some injustice was happening here. You want us to take this guy out or what?

[Daphne]

I kinda love it.

[Teeth]

Well, he said, at that time we would have been diagnosed as crazy people. I told my brother that we had an opportunity to have the killer dealt with in the county jail. We decided not to kill him, but to mess him up, to have his hands smashed. Like we were ordering pizza and choosing different toppings from the menu. And that was just the beginning of our madness. It carried right through. Even writing it down, I thought, I've gotta let this go because you can't live in hate. And I feel like there's probably a lot of families that feel the same way, that they're like, you know, do I just, do I just take this? Or like, what do I do?

[Daphne]

You know, I think the quote you just read like that just truly shows how impossible it is to be in that situation, situation he was in and knowing beforehand as well that his sister had been through all this abuse and how much they already didn't like him. Like, it's just so devastating all around, especially when you tack on such severe injustice.

[Teeth]

I just think it's so crazy that the mob was like, hey, you know, what do you want, what do you want us to do with this guy? You want us to break his kneecaps?

[Daphne]

Like, we know, we know a guy.

[Teeth]

What color of suit do you want him to, to, to wear while we put the cement blocks around his feet and throw them in the ocean? Like, I mean, it's, it's just crazy. Well, the same year as the trial in 1983, their mom, Lenny, founded Justice for Homicide Victims, which was a victims rights advocacy group that she cared greatly about until she passed just before turning 65 in January of 1997.

[Daphne]

Regarding Dominic Dunn, before and after his ex wife. Lenny's death covered many true crime cases as a writer. I said earlier in this episode that after working in tv, he became a writer. And actually he did a lot of true crime writing, including for the O.J. simpson Nicole Brown Simpson case and the Menendez brothers, which of course happened in the decade after his daughter's murder. Griffin later said of his father's style, quote, if he wrote about Phil Spector, he talked about Lana Clarkson, and not as a third rate actress, as the Media can continue to describe her. Or during OJ he sat with the Browns and Nicole's family. He's always looked at it from the rights of the victim. And we love Dominic for that. We've covered all those cases actually, and he lived a very full life, always fighting for what was right. But sadly, In August of 2009, Dominic Dunn passed away at the age of 83 from bladder cancer. So Dominique's story as a whole is a painful reminder that real horror often lives outside of the screen. Yet in Hollywood, where myth and tragedy often intertwine, her death became part of something larger. A pattern of strange misfortunes tied to Poltergeist. But like the talk surrounding other so called curse productions, from the Exorcist to the Omen to the Crow to Superman, whispers of the poltergeist curse began to grow. And let's be honest, real life can very much be scary enough. We are not here to sensationalize or suggest that a curse caused the tragedies connected to Poltergeist. Especially what happened to Dominique Dunne.

[Teeth]

Yeah, I mean, this is purely. I mean, this is just a thing. It's been around forever that there was a curse attached to the Poltergeist film. And like many other movies, as you mentioned, because obviously people like to make these connections.

[Daphne]

Yeah. And this is our Halloween episode. We wanted to explore how these eerie coincidences became part of the film's legacy and why the idea of the Poltergeist curse still fascinates people today. Now, first, as we know before CGI became popularly used amongst production companies in the mid-1990s, sometimes far too much. I miss practical effects. Practical effects were all we had, but sometimes things were taken a bit too far to make things look realistic. This set included. One example I always think of is how in the first Friday the 13th, they. There's a snake in the cabin.

[Teeth]

Yep.

[Daphne]

And he does. What kind of weapon does he use?

[Teeth]

He uses a machete and they. And he kills the snake and he.

[Daphne]

Chops the snake in half.

[Teeth]

Yeah. And there was a lot of outrage when that occurred. When people actually saw that in the film, they were wondering if it was a fake snake. But there's no way. I mean, back then you could not make a snake look that real. So people knew. And then when it came out that it was a real snake. A lot of animal rights activists came after that film.

[Daphne]

Good. I mean, it's. I had never noticed that before. And then the last time you and I watched it a couple years ago or so, I just remember Like I still think about it sometimes, the way the snake kind of recoiled after it was chopped in half.

[Teeth]

Yeah.

[Daphne]

I was like, oh my God, that feels like that was a bodily reaction. And I looked it up and I was so disturbed that that was a real snake that I have not watched that movie since. I know you love it. I know you love it.

[Teeth]

I love the franchise, let's say that.

[Daphne]

Yeah. But that was. I mean, that was not cool at all. But anyway, so, yeah, there was a lot of things like that being used. Real, you know, not usually real animals were being killed or people, of course, in movies, but there were exceptions, especially in low budget movies like Friday the 13th. But even in this movie, little did the cast know at the time, real human skeletons were used in this movie. Now there's a scene, if you haven't seen it, where actress Jobeth Williams, who plays Diane Freeling, the mom, falls into a muddy, rain filled swimming pool that has skeletons in it. And looking at them, they certainly don't look like plastic skeletons. We will post a photo for you guys to see.

[Teeth]

Yeah. And that's because they weren't.

[Daphne]

Yeah. It was actually cheaper to use real legally obtained human skeletons purchased from a medical supply company than it was to make realistic looking fake ones. Later, Jobeth Williams said, I always assumed that the skeletons were made by the prop department. A few years later, I ran into one of the special effects guys and I said, you guys making all those skeletons? That must have been really amazing. Oh, we didn't make them. Those were real. What? Yeah, those were real skeletons. That really grossed me out. I'm glad I didn't know that then because I would have really been screaming a lot. For real.

[Teeth]

I mean, it's pretty crazy to actually know that you were in a swimming pool filled with skeletons that were once inside of a human body.

[Daphne]

Yeah, like dead bodies, essentially.

[Teeth]

Yeah. So the film centers around the Freeling's youngest daughter, Carol Ann Freeling, played by Heather o', Rourke, who starred in the first three movies of the franchise. And actually Dominique Dunne, who played her older sister, Dana. Freeling was even set to star in the film's sequel, but sadly she was murdered before filming took place. So out of respect for her and her family, they didn't recast her role for Dana in the sequel. And her character wasn't even mentioned in the next movies. It was just implied that she was likely off at college. But Heather o' Rourke continued with her portrayal of Carol Anne. And here's a little fun fact for you guys. She had actually been up against Drew Barrymore for the role. But instead Steven cast Drew as Gertie in ET which actually released the same year as Poltergeist.

[Daphne]

Well, sadly, after filming the third installment of Poltergeist, Heather died before it would even release in 1988. In 1987, 11 year old Heather fell ill and she was misdiagnosed with Crohn's disease and she was prescribed cortisone injections to treat it while she filmed the third movie. And throughout the course of the year she continued to be ill. The cortisone injections really were doing nothing at all but making her face swell, which apparently she was very self conscious about, sadly. And In January of 1988, her illness was once again misdiagnosed, this time as the flu. But after collapsing in her home the next day, 12 year old Heather was rushed to the hospital and didn't even make it there alive, Suffering cardiac arrest in the ambulance, the paramedics were actually able to briefly restart her heart, changing routes to have her airlifted to Children's Hospital of San Diego, where she had a seemingly successful surgery for intestinal stenosis. But while she was in the recovery room, she suffered another cardiac arrest. And after doctors performed CPR for 30 minutes, she was pronounced dead at 2:43pm on February 1, 1988, four months before the third film's release and about five and a half years after Dominique was murdered. So like I said, Heather was misdiagnosed because what she actually was suffering from was the parasitic disease giardiasis, which she contracted from well water at her family home on Big Bear Lake, which is in the San Bernardino Mountains outside of Los Angeles, two other cast members died shortly after filming the second installment of the movie. So before Heather died, with the evil preacher Kane, played by Julian Beck, dying from stomach cancer in 1983, and from the same film, Taylor, who is the Native American shaman played by Will Sampson, died shortly before Heather after undergoing a heart lung transplant.

[Teeth]

So in the end, the so called Poltergeist curse feels less like a supernatural mystery and more like a tragic series of coincidences. Reminders that behind every film, every headline and every urban legend are real people with families, dreams and futures that were cut short. Dominique Dunne and Heather o' Rourke were both bright young talents and more importantly, wonderful girls with people who loved them deeply, whose lives ended far too soon, leaving behind not just a haunted legacy on film, but a lasting mark on the people who cared about them. Now, whether you believe in curses or not, the true horror of this story lies not in the paranormal, but in the very real loss that still lingers decades later.

[Daphne]

Thank you so much, everybody for listening to this episode of Going West.

[Teeth]

Yes, thank you guys so much for listening listening to this episode. Also, I do want to mention that we used to have a show called the Dark Parts. It's still up for you guys to listen to. And we actually did a full story on cursed films. We talk about all the cursed films that we could think of. So go check that out if you haven't because it's kind of a fun, spooky Halloween episode.

[Daphne]

And thank you guys for tuning in to this one. Also, if you want to check out our most recent recent bonus episode, we did a listener Tales. It's called French Quarter Creeper. That is a great episode to listen to because that just came out. We love doing that one around Halloween every year. It's so much fun. You can find that on patreon.com goingwest podcast or you can find it on Apple subscriptions. We love you guys. We're so excited for Halloween. Let us know what you're doing.

[Teeth]

Yeah, Daphne, tell the. Tell the people what we're doing for Halloween.

[Daphne]

While Heath always loves to go big with decorations, he has been doing an amazing job on the inside and outside of our house. And so we're having a big Halloween party and Heath has been wanting to go as a werewolf for so fricking long. And we usually like to do a couple costumes. So I said, okay, I'll be a little red, but I'm doing kind of more of a Victorian corseted Little Red Riding Hood vibe.

[Teeth]

Yeah. So we're not going to completely match. I'm kind of more of like an 80s, like, teen werewolf.

[Daphne]

Yeah.

[Teeth]

And you're like a vintage.

[Daphne]

I'm like a Marie Antoinette. Little Red riding.

[Teeth]

Yes. But yeah. Please let us know in the comments what you guys are doing for Halloween. And I want to say happy Halloween to everybody out there listening and please stay safe. All right, guys. So for everybody out there in the.

[Daphne]

World, don't be a stranger and we'll see you on Tuesday. Sam.

[Teeth]

Sa.

[Daphne]

Ever since switching to T Mobile, something weird has been happening. I get to cut lines.

[Teeth]

Oh, right this way.

[Daphne]

Who, me? I can stream shows at 30,000ft and I was able to buy reserve tickets for my favorite band.

[Teeth]

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[Daphne]

Are you ready to get spicy?

[Teeth]

These Doritos Golden Sriracha aren't that spicy. Sriracha sounds pretty spicy to me. Um, a little spicy, but also tangy and sweet.

[Daphne]

Maybe it's time to turn up the heat.

[Teeth]

Or turn it down. It's time for something that's not too spicy. Try Doritos Golden Sriracha. Spicy but not too spicy.