John Thomas Sweeney

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For other persons of the same name, see John Sweeney.

John Thomas Sweeney (born 1956[1]) is a former chef who dated actress Dominique Dunne from 1981 to 1982[1] and strangled her following a domestic dispute in early November 1982. He was convicted of voluntary manslaughter after her death and given a prison sentence of 6½ years for his crime but was released after serving 2½ years. He was given some credit on his term for time served before his sentencing.

Upon his release, he returned to his vocation as a chef, being hired by a restaurant in Santa Monica, California. However, Dunne's family publicly protested his employment there, and he was fired.

Dunne's father, journalist and author Dominick Dunne, has said that in his frustration over Sweeney's relatively short prison term, Dunne hired private investigator Anthony Pellicano to follow and report upon Sweeney. According to Dunne, the last information he had was that Sweeney had changed his name to John Maura — taking his mother's first name for his new last name — moved to the Pacific Northwest and found employment as a chef in a Seattle restaurant. [2] [3] [4] [5] Dunne has said that he eventually decided he didn't want to spend his life consumed by such a pursuit, and he no longer has any information regarding the current activities or whereabouts of Maura (né Sweeney).

[edit] References

  1. ^ a b Dominique Dunne - Biography. Retrieved on June 21, 2007.
  2. ^ CNN.com - Transcripts. Aired June 26, 2001.
  3. ^ CNN.com - Transcripts. Aired November 16, 2005.
  4. ^ CNN.com - Transcripts. Aired July 24, 2002.
  5. ^ CNN.com - Transcripts. Aired May 20, 2002.

[edit] External links

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