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She left The Times in 2015. He loved to dish, giving rumor equal time with news in his Vanity Fair reports. By 1957 he was in Santa Monica, Calif.; a year later he was producing at 20th Century Fox and living in Beverly Hills. Ezra Millers Messiah Delusions: Inside. Pierce, who, at the request of Sweeney's attorney, did not testify in the jury's presence, stated that she and Sweeney had dated on and off from 1977 to 1980. Image: Warner Bros. Dunne (pictured above, far left), who played the eldest daughter Dana in the first film, was strangled by her abusive ex-boyfriend, John . Mr. Dunne said this had created an environment that led to Ms. Levys disappearance. When Elisabeth Finch met Jennifer Beyer in 2019, the two women forged a fiercely loyal friendship, and eventually got married. Aug. 26, 2009. She was born in Santa Monica, California, to a noble family. Last year, as a postscript to his Simpson coverage, Mr. Dunne defied his doctors orders and flew to Las Vegas to attend Mr. Simpsons kidnapping and robbery trial. To revist this article, visit My Profile, then View saved stories. Packer then phoned a friend and told him that if he was found dead, John Sweeney was his killer. She was set to star in the miniseries V in 1982, but died during the filming.Dominique Dunne was born in 1950s. [9] This lawsuit was eventually dismissed. My jobs never qualified me for the strata of Hollywood we moved in, he recalled. Born in Hartford, Dominick John Dunne was one of six children of a fourth-generation Irish-Catholic family. Many celebrities passed away recently because of various reasons. His willingness to entertain nearly any source made him the target of an $11-million defamation lawsuit by former California Rep. Gary Condit after Dunne told a bizarre, unsubstantiated story on national television and radio programs that implicated Condit in the 2001 disappearance of Washington intern Chandra Levy. [26] She never regained consciousness. When youre down and out, theres no meaner place to live than Hollywood. Dunne told the friend that Sweeney had tried to kill her, but Sweeney denied the claim and asked Dunne to come back to bed. I had some hot information about Skakel, Mr. Dunne said, and I knew Fuhrman would bring it to attention.. [42][43], On the advice of Tina Brown, Dominick Dunne kept a journal throughout the trial. I have far better jewels than Sunny von Bulow ever had., Dunnes stories were filled with revelations such as these. Mr. Condit had been scheduled to testify in a deposition about his relationship with Chandra Levy, a federal government intern who disappeared in May 2001 and whose body was found in a Washington park in 2002. [1] Dunne had Irish and Mexican ancestry, her father was born and raised in an Irish Catholic family with her maternal grandfather an Irish-American and her maternal grandmother a Mexican who was from Sonora, Mexico. [16] She was set to reprise the role in the following installments of the franchise, but she died before production began on the sequels; Poltergeist II: The Other Side,[17] filmed in 1985 and released in 1986,[17] it explains her character's absence by stating that she has gone off to attend college. Military service: US Army (WWII) As a child, Dominick Dunne was beaten by his father for his "sissy" attempts at writing plays and staging puppet shows. He said it would be his last such assignment. Shortly after her death, her appearance on the police drama "Hill Street Blues" aired. [13] It went on to become a critical and commercial success,[14] becoming the eighth-highest-grossing film of 1982,[15] and since its release it has acquired a cult following. One night he went to bed with a knife beside him, intending to kill himself, only to be jarred awake by a phone call telling him that his youngest brother, Stephen, had committed suicide. Her kidneys and heart were donated for transplant. Justice (Crown), a collection of articles that had appeared in Vanity Fair, was published in 2001. Dunne, however, wanted to forge her own path and pursued acting (via Reel Reviews). Mr. Condits suit, originally seeking $11 million in damages, was settled for an undisclosed sum and an apology. Several outlets criticized Judge Katz's rulings, which many argued were preferential towards the defense. They insisted that he went to Dunne's home on October 30 in an effort to persuade her to reconcile after she told him that their break up was permanent. Mother of actor Griffin Dunne and author Alexander Dunne. Trial To Hospital", "Society crime writer Dominick Dunne, dies at 83", "Dominick Dunne Remembered at the Chateau Marmont", "Dominick Dunne dies at 83; author and former Hollywood producer", "Taking His Panache to TV, Stalking Injustice, His Way", Dominick Dunne, Chronicler of Crime, Dies at 83, The New York Times, August 26, 2009, Celebrity Author And Hartford Native Dominick Dunne Dies At Age 83". After his brothers funeral, Dunne decided to start over in New York as a writer. Dunne was a television and film producer for two decades until drugs and alcohol ruined him. Nothing has been ordinary, and I want to have the experience of the last breath. Upon their arrival, the police said that they found Sweeney's demeanor to be both calm and collected". And I was furious that I had become a reject. He found the investigative work exhilarating and told himself that he could do what these reporters do.. . The series is dedicated to her memory. After speaking to him through the locked door, Dunne agreed to speak to him on the porch, while Packer remained inside. Something about me drove my father crazy. The strangulation death of dominique dunne was voluntary manslaughter and the earlier choking a misdemeanor assault. Ad Choices, The 42 Best Romantic Comedies of All Time, The 25 Best Shows on Netflix to Watch Right Now, Prince Harry on Williams Hairline and Their Wicked Stepmother. He turned to writing in the early 1970s. In 1982, she landed her biggest role yet in "Poltergeist." The film was a . [32], Sweeney's trial began in August 1983 and it was presided over by Judge Burton S. Katz. He began his career in film and television as a producer of the pioneering gay film The Boys in the Band (1970) and as the producer of the award-winning drug film The Panic in Needle Park (1971). [8], Dunne attended Harvard-Westlake School in Los Angeles, Taft School in Watertown, Connecticut, and Fountain Valley School in Fountain, Colorado. He was a producer in Hollywood and is also known from his frequent appearances on television. Vanity Fair may earn a portion of sales from products that are purchased through our site as part of our Affiliate Partnerships with retailers. In 2002, director Barry Avrich released an unauthorized documentary about Dunne, Guilty Pleasure. Dunne was the older brother of writer John Gregory Dunne (19322003), a screenwriter and a critic who married the writer Joan Didion. 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[31] Sweeney was later charged with assault with intent to do great bodily harm when, during a preliminary trial hearing, he admitted that he and Dunne had a physical altercation on September 26, 1982, the day before she filmed the Hill Street Blues episode, in which she appeared with visible bruises on her face and body. He claimed that he could only recall being on top of her, with his hands around her neck. Join us as we tell the story of the tragic death of POLTERGEIST actress Dominique Dunne.#DominiqueDunne #Poltergeist #TrueCrimeWant a personalized VIDEO MESS. [2][3] She went on to headline the western film The Shadow Riders (1982), and portray Amy Kent on the crime series CHiPs (1982). He had started life over as a writer when his daughter, Dominique, was slain in 1982. Throughout his life, Dunne frequently socialized with, wrote about, and was photographed with celebrities. Dunne signed a long-term contract with Vanity Fair but also tackled fiction again, this time producing a bestseller, The Two Mrs. Grenvilles (1985), based on the sensational Woodward murder case in 1955. 5-star. [24], On August 29, defense attorney Michael Adelson also requested that Judge Katz rule that the court lacked sufficient evidence to try Sweeney on the charge of first-degree murder, because predetermination was not established. [18], Dunne appeared posthumously in the Hill Street Blues episode, "Requiem For a Hairbag, which aired on November 18, 1982, only two weeks after her death. Hollywood outcast, best-selling author and chronicler of the rich and famous, Dominick Dunne was one of the world's leading journalists and society commentators. Mr. Dunne also clashed with the Kennedy family about his involvement in the 2002 trial of Mr. Skakel, a first cousin of Robert F. Kennedy Jr. Mr. Skakel was sentenced to 20 years to life in the murder of Martha Moxley in 1975. Dunne had written extensively about the bizarre death of Edmond Safra, the billionaire banker who, in 1999, suffocated from a fire set inside his heavily secured Monte Carlo penthouse. ", "Steven Spielberg SECRETLY directed Poltergeist for TWO very sneaky reasons: This is why", "MISSING IN ACTION: HOW SEQUEL-MAKERS DO WITHOUT STARS", "The Tragic Real-Life Story Of The Poltergeist Cast", "Actress' killer free, but victim's family still suffers", "An American Tragedy That Brought Death to Actress Dominique Dunne Now Brings Outrage to Her Family", Justice: A Father's Account of the Trial of his Daughter's Killer, "Westwood Fears Dead Could Lie Too Close; Cemetery: The owner of the resting place for Marilyn Monroe and Jack Lemmon wants to build at property lines", "First-degree murder charge is ruled out", "Family of slain actress outraged at trial outcome", "He's Here! Didion and John Gregory Dunne wrote the screenplay, while Dominick Dunne produced the film (which featured Al Pacino in his first leading role). Reviews of The Winners were scathing, but his editor, Michael Korda, advised him to go in another direction. After the trial, John Sweeney was incarcerated in a medium-security prison in Susanville, California. Her body was found beneath a tree on her parents property in Greenwich, Conn. Born and raised in Santa Monica, California, Dunne studied acting at Milton Katselas' Workshop, where she appeared in stage productions. He covered the famous trials of O. J. Simpson, Claus von Blow, Michael Skakel, William Kennedy Smith, and the Menendez brothers. Birthplace: Hartford, CT Location of death: Manhattan, NY Cause of death: Cancer - other. Dunne served in World War II and received the Bronze Star for heroism during the Battle of Metz. I wrote The Two Mrs. Grenvilles, about a social family whose son married a showgirl who was then accused of murdering him. [16], Dunne was married to Ellen Beatriz Griffin from 1954 to 1965. By 1970, he was producing films. The Mass was held Thursday at St. Vincent Ferrer Church in Manhattan, where stars such as Richard Gere, Julianna Margulies, Liev Schreiber . Disconnecting himself from the medical instruments attached to him, he walked out and took a taxi home. In the mid-1990s, Dominick Dunne was contacted by a Florida doctor who had read an article Dunne wrote about Dominique's death. In 2003, in a 14,000-word article in The Atlantic Monthly arguing that the case against his cousin was flawed and had left reasonable doubt, Mr. Kennedy accused Mr. Dunne of intimidating prosecutors and helping to drive the news media into a frenzy to lynch the fat kid., Mr. Dunne said in The Times interview that he had also been a source of information for a book that Mark Fuhrman was writing about the Skakel trial. She covered public education and filled a variety of editing assignments before joining the dead beat news obituaries where she has produced artful pieces on celebrated local, national and international figures, including Norman Mailer, Julia Child and Rosa Parks. Sweeney said that he attempted to revive her by making her walk around, but she fell down. The story propelled its author into a new career reporting from the intersection of celebrity, society and scandal. As a subscriber, you have 10 gift articles to give each month. People just loved to talk to him., When the Simpson trial opened in 1995, Dunnes sympathy for the victims was so well-known that Judge Lance Ito assigned him a front-row seat in the courtroom. The cause was bladder cancer, a family spokesman said. In 1954, he married Ellen Griffin, an heiress. I knew everyones back story. He was always writing from the point of view of the victim because of what happened to his daughter, and he had a riveting way of knowing, almost like Balzac, what to tell the reader when.. His social ambitions ruined his marriage, and he began drinking excessively and abusing drugs. Concerned, he called police, but he was informed that Dunne's home was out of their jurisdiction. 12.5.34-12.23.21.". 1. The man was later identified as the same John Sweeney, and in an effort to protect the young woman who was now engaged to John Sweeney, Dunne's brother, Griffin, contacted the woman and asked her to reconsider her decision. Born: 23-Nov-1959 Birthplace: Santa Monica, CA Died: 4-Nov-1982 Location of death: West Hollywood, CA Cause of death: Murder Remains: Buried, Westwood Memorial Park, Los Angeles, CA. Dunne's mother told him to leave and threatened to call the police. Speigel went on to say that had the jury been provided with the opportunity to hear all of the evidence, it would have convicted Sweeney of murder. Dunne had recovered from prostate cancer in 2001 but was diagnosed with bladder cancer last year. Id rather be shot to death in the Plaza or Monte Carlo by Lily Safra. His [] It was released globally and featured Johnnie Cochran, Griffin Dunne, and producer David Brown. His daughter, actress Dominique Dunne, starred in the horror film "Poltergeist", and was murdered by her boyfriend in an infamous Hollywood case. In 2008, at age 82, Dunne traveled from New York to Las Vegas to cover O. J. Simpson's trial on charges of kidnapping and armed robbery for Vanity Fair. Murder with malice.". On November 4, her parents consented to have her removed from life support. Like Truman Capote, another social chronicler, Dunne often bit the well-manicured hands that fed him. The consummate insider and relentless crusader, Dunne chronicles the arrogance that leads the rich to believe they are above the law. The film was produced by Steven Spielberg and directed by Tobe Hooper,[11][12] and served as her feature film debut. Born into a prominent family, her father, Dominick Dunne, was a journalist and her mother, Ellen Griffin, was an heiress. He testified that he had not intended to harm Dunne the night he arrived at her home. Dominick Dunne: After the Party, a documentary about his life, premiered in 2008. He later admitted that some of his controversial rulings in Dunne's case "pained" him, but he reiterated his thought that Sweeney should have been convicted of murder and given a lengthier sentence. He was 83. The primary source of his income was his successful long-term career as an American novelist, screenwriter, and literary critic. Dunne worked on Playhouse 90 and became vice president of Four Star Television. A year after her daughter's death, Dominique's mother, Ellen "Lenny" Dunne, founded Justice for Homicide Victims, a victim's rights advocacy group.[45]. She made her on-screen debut with the television film Diary of a Teenage Hitchhiker, and thereafter played the recurring roles of Erica on the drama series Family (1980 . Let me get him off the phone." When Sweeney heard Dunne start the engine of her car, he ran out and jumped on the hood of the car. He made no secret of the fact that his sympathy generally lay with the victim, and he was vocal about what he considered the misapplication of justice. Here is all you want to know, and more! In September 2008, Dunne disclosed that he was being treated for bladder cancer. I dont want to die under anesthesia. In addition to his son Griffin, of Manhattan, Dunne is survived by another son, Alex, of Portland, Oregon, and a granddaughter, Hannah. Many of his subjects were friends from his previous life, such as Elizabeth Taylor and Gloria Vanderbilt. Sean Elder's review of Dunne's memoir, The Way We Lived Then, recounted how Dunne appeared at a wedding reception for Dennis Hopper, writing, "But in the midst of it all, there was one man who was getting what ceramic artist Ron Nagle would call 'the full cheese,' one guy everyone gravitated toward and paid obeisance to. Dominick Dunne, who gave up producing movies in midlife and reinvented himself as a best-selling author, magazine writer, television personality and reporter whose celebrity often . As a boy, Dunne was known as Nicky. Pierce claimed that during the relationship, Sweeney had assaulted her on ten separate occasions, and as a result, she was hospitalized twice for the injuries which she sustained. We were like minor-league Kennedys.. She had two older brothers, Alexander "Alex" and actor Griffin Dunne. Ms. Dunne, a 22-year-old actress, was found strangled, and Mr. Sweeney, who was found guilty only of voluntary manslaughter and a misdemeanor for an earlier assault, served less than three years. Reporters for major newspapers, including The Times, were relegated to the rear. It was, like, Boing in my head, and I made a genre out of the thing. Later, Packer said that he heard smacking sounds, two screams, and a thud. Living alone in a cabin, he became sober and began, at age 50, to write. But his drinking continued, and though none of his films were box-office smashes, the denouement came in 1973 with the widely panned Ash Wednesday, a picture he produced starring Ms. Taylor. The film documents his hardships and successes in the entertainment industry. His final novel, "Too Much Money," will be published in December 2009. Season 1. Others were highly placed friends of friends, such as former Philippines First Lady Imelda Marcos, who gave him an exclusive interview shortly after she and her husband took up life in exile, and Lily Safra, the international jet-setter whose banker-husband Edmond was killed in a suspicious fire. Shortly after the trial, Judge Burton S. Katz, who presided over the case, transferred to the Juvenile Court in Sylmar, Los Angeles. Frightened, Dunne fled to her mother's house, where Sweeney showed up and began to bang on the door and windows, demanding to be let in. Dunne told her friend, "Oh God, it's Sweeney. In addition, John also used to get a hefty sum of money from the ads and sponsors as well. He never hesitated to admit that his sympathetic stance stemmed from the murder of his daughter, Dominique, by John Sweeney, her ex-boyfriend, in 1982. [7] Her parents divorced in 1967. What we would not know until the trial was that the marks on her neck were real, from John Sweeney's assault on her." The film producer Dominick Dunne died at the age of 83. [24] Deputy Frank DeMilio, the first officer to arrive on the scene, testified that Sweeney told him, "Man, I blew it. In 2005, former California Congressman Gary Condit won an undisclosed financial settlement and an apology from Dunne,[8] who had earlier implicated him in the disappearance of Condit's intern Chandra Levy in Washington, D.C. Levy was from Condit's Congressional district, and Condit had previously admitted to an extramarital affair with her. He moved to New York in 1981. At Michaels restaurant in Manhattan, a favorite gathering spot of the news media elite, Mr. Dunne could often be found at his regular corner table receiving admirers. Part 1; Only the back of her head is still visible in one shot. cause of death, and how far . [25] While she was speaking to a female friend on the phone, Sweeney had the operator break into the conversation. His father, Richard, was a heart surgeon, and although the family was well-off, his childhood was not happy. He was a great listener, said New Yorker writer Jeffrey Toobin, who became friends with Dunne during the first Simpson trial. [44] In later interviews in which Dominick Dunne discussed his daughter's murder, the writer shared that, for a time, he employed the services of private investigator Anthony Pellicano and asked him to follow Sweeney and report on his actions and whereabouts. The episode aired on November 18, 1982, 12 days after her funeral, and it was dedicated to her memory. I got into the car and didnt know where I was headed, he said in an interview. Dominick Dunne covered the trial of his daughter's murder for Vanity Fair, and was outraged alongside the rest of his family when Sweeney received acquittal of the second-degree murder . Sweeney's court-appointed attorney, Michael Adelson, argued that his client's actions were neither premeditated nor were they executed with malice. Similarly, Dunne, who had been a guest at the 1950 wedding of Robert F. Kennedy and Ethel Skakel, turned his theories about the culpability of Ethels nephew, Michael Skakel, in a long-unsolved slaying into another novel, A Season in Purgatory (1993). NEW YORK -- Chronicler of the rich and powerful Dominick Dunne was eulogized as a great father, gossip, and faithful friend at a funeral Mass attended by hundreds from the world of society and celebrity. He apologized to the court for the outburst, which Judge Katz accepted. After graduating from Williams College, Dunne moved to New York City, where he became a stage manager for television. In November 2006, Condit again sued Dunne for comments Dunne made about him on Larry King Live on CNN. [7], Dominique Dunne, most known for her role in the film Poltergeist, was strangled to death by her ex-boyfriend, John Sweeney, on November 4, 1982. A young man enters the water below a high bridge and is pulled unconscious from the water. Sweeney was convicted of manslaughter and served less than four years of his six-and-half year sentence. And I went.. But by this time drugs and alcohol had become an unmanageable part of his life, and in 1975 he drove himself up to the woods in Oregon. Mr. Dunne sits near O. J. Simpson at Mr. Simpsons 2008 trial in Las Vegas. The couple frequently fought, and Sweeney began to physically abuse Dunne. A spokeswoman for Children's Hospital of San Diego identified the cause of death as intestinal stenosis--a severe bowel obstruction that the girl evidently had from birth. The doctor told Dunne his daughter had recently become engaged to a chef named John Sweeney and wondered if it was the same John Sweeney responsible for Dominique Dunne's death. other kin relationship with Dunne, Hannah (born 8 April 1990). I want a little drama to it. He produced a number of motion pictures . Dunne also had a recurring role on the comedy-drama television series, Breaking Away, and she also appeared in several other television films. For his full interview, see http://www.emmytvlegends.org/interviews/people/dominick-dunne Dominick Dunne, a best-selling author and special correspondent for Vanity Fair, died today at his home in Manhattan. Dunne was born in 1925 in Hartford, Connecticut, the second of six children of Richard Edwin Dunne, a hospital chief of staff and a heart surgeon, and Dorothy Frances (ne Burns). He covered the proceedings by day and dined out on them at night, entertaining the likes of Elizabeth Taylor, Nancy Reagan and Princess Diana with stories from the so-called trial of the century. He was dining there one night in the 1960s when Frank Sinatra, with whom hed had a testy relationship, paid a waiter to punch him in the face. He is survived by his sons Griffin, an actor and director of New York, and Alexander of Portland, Ore.; and a granddaughter, Hannah Dunne. Dominique's cause of death was murder by strangulation. Then came the tragedy that would define the second half of his life: His actress-daughter, Dominique, 22, was strangled by her boyfriend, John Sweeney, a chef at a tony West Hollywood restaurant. He based several bestselling novels on real events, including the murders of Alfred Bloomingdale's mistress, Vicki Morgan (An Inconvenient Woman), and banking heir William Woodward, Jr., who was shot by his wife, Ann Woodward (The Two Mrs. Grenvilles). He was known for his novels such was "The Two Mrs. Grenvilles" (1985), and "A Season in Purgatory" (1993). A friend of Alfred and Betsy Bloomingdale of the department store fortune, he turned Alfreds relationship with his mistress, Vicki Morgan, into a roman a clef, An Inconvenient Woman (1990). Here is all you want to know, and more! During the trial, Sweeney took the stand in his own defense. Throughout his life, Dunne was a vocal advocate for victims rights.Born in Hartford, Connecticut, on October 29, 1925, Dunne was awarded the Bronze Star, at age 19, for his service in World War II. Rich L.A. homeowners are snapping them up, Elliott: Kings use their heads over hearts in trading Jonathan Quick, Look up: The 32 most spectacular ceilings in Los Angeles, Sherman Oaks Notre Dame overcomes deficit to win Mission League opener, 19 cafes that make L.A. a world-class coffee destination, 12 reasons why Sycamore Avenue is L.A.s coolest new hangout, Gripped by grace: Thousands gather for Bishop OConnells funeral Mass, Civilian oversight commission calls for sheriff to outlaw deputy gangs, ban their rituals, Bullets fly amid wild police pursuit that crosses multiple counties, Photos: L.A. County sheriffs academy Class 464, derailed last year by a horrific crash, graduates, So frustrating: L.A. County condom program has faced delays, complaints. Murder with malice". Dominique Dunne. The writer grew up being influenced by his elder brother Dominick Dunne, a writer, journalist as . Dominick Dunne was an American writer and investigative journalist whose subjects frequently hinged on the ways high society interacts with the judiciary system. [32][36] Deputy District Attorney Steven Barshop later said that this decision, along with Judge Katz's previous rulings barring the testimonies of both Sweeney's ex-girlfriend and Dunne's mother and friends, seriously undermined the prosecution's case against Sweeney. I want something in the papers.. Sweeney told Packer to call the police. Perhaps one of the most grisly and tragic deaths was that of 22-year-old actress Dominique Dunne, who played the eldest sister in the first film, Dana Freeling. The octogenarian attended the trial against doctors orders, unable to resist what promised to be the final curtain in a protracted saga. He sprang to national prominence with his best-selling novels The Two Mrs. Grenvilles in 1985 and An Inconvenient Woman in 1990, both focused on murders in the upper realms of society. He attributed his success to his being a good listener. I always kept scrap books and saved everything. She has been attracted by many of the boys where she has also been involved in it and later she broke up. The only footage of her which remains in the miniseries is a shot of her . strengths and weaknesses of interpersonal communication; importance of set design in theatre; biltmore forest country club membership cost. He mocked me and often beat me with a wooden coat hanger, and although we belonged to WASP clubs, we were never a part of things. Reports say sweeney an ex of dunnes had routinely abused her causing. What did Disney actually lose from its Florida battle with DeSantis? Dominique Ellen Dunne (November 23, 1959 - November 4, 1982) was an American actress. Her parents divorced in 1965, when she was 6 years old, and by that time she was already doing some acting work. His story on the Safra slaying, for instance, was an engrossing brew of fact and rank speculation as only Dunne could produce. Episode 2. I knew all the phone numbers. Dominick Dunne is survived by his two sons, the actor-director Griffin, and Alex. Fri 03 Mar 18:00. However, the actress was brain dead and eventually removed from life support. He had met him when Mr. Fuhrman testified during the O. J. Simpson murder trial. All the people who dumped me years before were now giving dinner parties for me, he said during Mr. Simpsons trial. The cause of death was bladder cancer, said his son Griffin Dunne. Dunnes insider accounts of the Simpson trial for Vanity Fair and commentaries on Court TV elevated him to a new echelon of celebrity. Dominick Dunne was born on the 29th of October, 1925. Nothing could have pleased me more, Dunne recalled in his 1999 memoir, The Way We Lived Then: Recollections of a Well-Known Name Dropper. I knew all the players. He went on unemployment, all the while terrified that his friends would see him in the line. He disparaged Erik and Lyle Menendez, the handsome brothers convicted of shooting their parents to death at their Beverly Hills mansion. According to Dunne's father, Pellicano reported that Sweeney had moved to the Pacific Northwest, assumed the name John Maura, and continued to work as a chef. In April 1954, Dunne married Ellen Beatriz Griffin, who went by Lenny. His obsession with the case inspired Another City, Not My Own (1997), a novel in the form of a memoir based on his involvement in the Simpson murder trial.