10 Tragic Details Surrounding Dominique Dunne, Who Was Killed At The Hands Of Her Ex-Boyfriend

6 /10 Dominique's Background

Before long, the couple found out how strikingly different they were from each other. Their backgrounds and professions were clashing.

For almost her entire life at that point, Dominique had lived in a family where everyone loved her dearly.

Although at age 11, she dealt with emotional problems following her parents’ divorce, all issues were handled considerately.

Dominique was all around comfortable with how things turned out. Due to her familiarity with the famous and wealthy, all those things never really bothered her too much.

5 /10 John's Upbringing

In contrast, John grew up in the coal town of Hazleton in Pennsylvania. He grew up poor in a troubled family.

His father was a violent alcoholic with an impulse of a savage; this man would beat his wife in full view of their kids without any notion of remorse each time.

John’s mother was a waitress with enough money to keep her children together. When John was 14, his parents also divorced.

Life started to look better after John took culinary art at age 19, then traveled to California with a diploma in hand.

4 /10 Angst And Elation

John spent time at a restaurant named Picolo’s before becoming a chief assistant at Ma Mason. He loved the cooking job as well as the elegance of the place.

Dominique gave him an easy entry to the glamor side of California using her connections and the Dunne name.

It turned out to be a struggle for John because all the sense of worthlessness he had experienced in his earlier days at Hazelton began to resurface.

Between the joy of being with her girlfriend among the celebrities, there was surging angst from the days gone by.

3 /10 Fear To Anger

As his confidence grew smaller in the fear that Dominique would eventually reject him, the love turned into blind jealousy and anger.

John wanted to assert more control of Dominique’s life, demanding her ultimate devotion and obedience.

There was almost no place where Dominique went that John wouldn’t follow, whether acting classes or TV set. He even asked about the conversations she had with her therapist.

Then the idea of Dominique playing a romantic scene with a male actor drove him frantic. Once, John accused Dominique of having an abortion, when in reality, she was never pregnant, to begin with.

2 /10 Anger To Violence

John’s fear was sprinkled with anger, and the offense often escalated to violence. In August 1982, in the middle of a quarrel, John grabbed Dominique and pulled some handfuls of hair by the roots.

Terrified of John’s behaviors, she ran to her mother’s house for safety. Undeterred, John followed Dominique and banged the doors and windows.

After some words with the mother in which she threatened to call the police, John backed down and finally left. Some days later, John and Dominique were seen together again.

1 /10 Death Of Dominique Dunne

After John strangled Dominique in October 1982, he was taken into custody. Meanwhile, Dominique was put on life support in a nearby hospital.

On November 4, 1982, her family decided to take off the life support when her brain no longer showed any activity; Dominique’s heart stopped instantly.

During the case trial, John was acquitted of second-degree murder and instead found guilty of voluntary manslaughter. He was sentenced to six years in prison but released just after three years.