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From the very first moment actor and comedian Nathan Lane, portraying the well-known journalist Dominick Dunne, steps into the spotlight in Monsters: The Story of Lyle and Erik Menendez on Netflix, a recurring sentiment echoes among various characters: “I’m so sorry about your daughter.” This gripping true crime series, crafted by Ryan Murphy, keeps viewers on the edge of their seats up until Episode 7, where it finally unveils the heartbreaking tale of the young woman, Dominique Dunne. And indeed, this is a true story.
The Troubling Connection Between Dunne and the Menendez Brothers
If you have watched the series, you may have noticed that Dunne harbors a particular animosity toward the Menendez brothers. This feeling is, in many respects, quite justified; the prominent journalist from Vanity Fair (a character based on a real person) not only saw them as cold-blooded murderers of their parents, Kitty and José Menéndez, but they also symbolized a haunting reminder of another man—the infamous John Thomas Sweeney—whom even these wealthy youths never truly encountered outside of television.
Revisiting Dominique Dunne’s Tragic Story
Let’s take a step back to 1982, the year when the horror film Poltergeist, produced by Steven Spielberg and directed by Tobe Hooper, premiered. A remarkably young Dominique Dunne, just 22, unwittingly skyrocketed to fame for her role as the oldest daughter in the film. A year later, she was selected for the science fiction series V, but just as she was about to shine, the world was rocked by the shocking news of her untimely death. Dunne never got the chance to complete her character in that series.
The Unraveling of a Disturbing Relationship
During that time, Dominique had met a young man at a restaurant named Ma Maison, where Sweeney worked as a chef. A few weeks into their relationship, they moved in together—much to the dismay of Dunne’s parents. This led to numerous arguments between the couple, eventually prompting the actress to decide to end the relationship once and for all. However, Sweeney’s reaction to the breakup was violent. On the night of October 30, 1982, he confronted her on the set of V while she was filming a scene.
What ensued was a heated argument that escalated into brutality, with Sweeney choking her as fellow cast member David Packer attempted to call the police. It is crucial to acknowledge that the physicality Sweeney possessed far surpassed that of Dunne, who eventually fell into a coma in the hospital and could not survive. The autopsy report confirmed that Dominique was strangled for 4 to 5 minutes by Sweeney.
Justice Denied and the Fight for Truth
During the trial, the Dunne family sought to bring in Sweeney’s ex-girlfriend as a witness, who claimed he had assaulted her multiple times. Judge Burton S. Katz ruled this testimony inadmissible, as he did the statement from Dunne’s mother, who mentioned her daughter confiding about the abuse she had suffered at Sweeney’s hands. Even more troubling was the fact that, just before appearing on Hill Street Blues, Dunne showed up covered in bruises, which were alarmingly real in the episode that aired.
Despite overwhelming evidence, John Thomas Sweeney was convicted of voluntary manslaughter and assault, but not murder. He served just three years in prison before his release. Since that verdict, the Dunne family has tirelessly pursued justice, firmly believing that Sweeney is a murderer.
The most perplexing aspect of this tragic saga is not merely the unjust sentence but also Sweeney’s attempts during the trial to showcase his psychological issues. He claimed that his father’s alcoholism traumatized him and that he experienced a “fit of passion” during his altercation with Dominique on the day of her death. Dunne’s father, journalist Dominick Dunne, finds himself depicted in the series, representing the loud and determined voice against the Menendez brothers for the murder of their respective parents.
