GRIFFIN Dunne is known for his roles on This Is Us and After Hours.
The actor comes from a famous family, including his sister who tragically died.
Who was Griffin Dunne’s sister Dominique?
Dominique Dunne was the sister of Oscar-nominated actor Griffin Dunne.
An actress in her own right, she is best known for her role as Dana Freeling in the 1982 horror film Poltergeist.
Before her untimely death, she was a rising Hollywood star. She had small roles in early 1980s TV shows such as Fame and Hill Street Blues.
Griffin revisits his sister’s murder in his book, The Friday Afternoon Club: A Family Memoir, due out June 13, 2024.
Read more about celebrity deaths
Who killed Dominique Dunne?
In 1982, Dominique Dunne met John Sweeney, a chef, at a party in Los Angeles, she said. IMDb Biography.
The two began a relationship that became abusive. According to IMDb, Sweeney was so violent that Dominique needed little makeup to play an abuse victim in Hill Street Blues.
On October 30, 1982, Dominique broke up with Sweeney, who later showed up at her house the same day.
She was rehearsing for the 1983 miniseries V with actor David Packer when Sweeney arrived.
Dominique found Sweeny on the porch while Packer remained inside the house as the former couple argued.
Page Six reports that Packer heard popping sounds, screams and a dull thud.
Dominique was strangled by Sweeny and placed on life support, with no signs of brain activity.
She was taken off life support and died on November 4, 1982, aged 22.
Where is John Sweeney today?
John Sweeney was charged with attempted murder and first-degree murder, which was reduced to second-degree murder after Dominique was taken off life support.
During the trial, Sweeny testified that he “exploded and launched himself toward [Dominique]”And he didn’t remember attacking her.
Sweeney was found not guilty of second-degree murder but guilty of manslaughter and was sentenced to six years in prison.
After his release from prison, Sweeney found a job at a restaurant.
Dominique’s mother and brother, Griffin, handed out flyers at the restaurant where he worked that said, “The food you will eat tonight was prepared by the hands that killed Dominique Dunne.”
TMZ reports that Dominique’s family got Sweeney fired from at least seven jobs.
The outlet recounts Dominique’s murder trial in a documentary called TMZ Investigates: Killing a Movie Star: Grave Injustice, which premiered on January 29, 2024.
Per SlateSweeney changed his name to John Maura and resumed his career as a chef.
This story originally appeared on The-sun.com read the full story