In the new documentary Stty and the Secret History of Hollywood, former V.F. edor Matt Tyrner sh a light on the sexual fixer who tered to secretly gay Goln Age stars
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- JTICEA FATHER’S ACUNT OF THE TRIAL OF HIS DGHTER’S KILLER.BY DOMICK DUNNEAPRIL 8, 2008SAVE THIS STORYSAVESAVE THIS STORYSAVEIT WAS THE BEGNG OF A LONG HOT SUMMER. I FLEW TO LOS ANGEL ON JULY 5, 1983, FOR AN FE STAY. THROUGHOUT THE FLIGHT OM NEW YORK I ENGAGED DILIGENT NVERSATN WH THE STRANGER NEXT TO ME, POSTPONG AS LONG AS POSSIBLE FACG THE FEELGS OF DREAD WH ME. MY TWO SONS, GRIFF AND ALEX, HAD PRECED ME OUT OM NEW YORK. ALEX, THE YOUNGER ONE, MET ME AT THE AIRPORT, AND WE DROVE TO BEVERLY HILLS TO THE HOE WHERE MY FORMER WIFE, ELLEN GRIFF DUNNE, LLED LENNY, LIV. GRIFF WAS ALREADY THERE. IT IS NOT THE HOE WE LIVED AS A FAY. IT IS SMALLER AND ON ONE LEVEL. LENNY HAS MULTIPLE SCLEROSIS AND IS NFED TO A WHEELCHAIR. WE WERE GATHERG, A FAY AGA, FOR A MURR TRIAL.THE FIRST TIME I SAW LENNY SHE WAS GETTG OFF A TRA AT THE RAILROAD STATN HARTFORD, CONNECTICUT. SHE WAS RAVISHG, AND I KNEW THAT STANT THAT I WOULD MARRY HER IF SHE WOULD HAVE ME. WE HAD A LARGE WEDDG AT HER FAY’S RANCH NOGAL, ARIZONA, 1954, AND AFTER LIVG BRIEFLY NEW YORK, WE MOVED TO BEVERLY HILLS, WHERE I WORKED FOR TWENTY-FIVE YEARS TELEVISN AND FILMS. WE HAD FIVE CHILDREN, TWO OF WHOM DIED WHEN THEY WERE ONLY A FEW DAYS OLD. LONG DIVORCED, WE HAVE, RIGHTLY OR WRONGLY, NEVER BEE UNMARRIED. OFTEN I HAVE FELT THROUGH THE YEARS THAT OUR LIV MIGHT HAVE BEEN BETTER IF WE HAD JT STUCK OUT THE DIFFICULT YEARS OF OUR MARRIAGE, BUT I DO NOT KNOW IF SHE WOULD AGREE WH THAT. WE NEVER VENTURE TO THE REALM OF WHAT MIGHT HAVE BEEN. I REFER TO HER NVERSATN AS MY WIFE, NEVER MY EX-WIFE, AND THERE IS NOT A DAY WHICH SHE DO NOT OCCUPY MY THOUGHTS FOR SOME PERD OF TIME. WE MUNITE REGULARLY AND MAIL EACH OTHER CLIPPGS WE CUT OUT OF NEWSPAPERS, AND I NO LONGER RENT, AS I ONCE DID, ADDRSG HER AS MRS. E. GRIFF DUNNE RATHER THAN AS MRS. DOMICK DUNNE.WHEN THE TELEPHONE MY NEW YORK APARTMENT WOKE ME UP AT FIVE O’CLOCK THE MORNG ON OCTOBER 31, 1982, I SENSED AS I REACHED FOR THE RECEIVER THAT DISASTER LOOMED. DETECTIVE HAROLD JOHNSTON OF THE LOS ANGEL HOMICI BURE TOLD ME THAT MY TWENTY-TWO-YEAR-OLD DGHTER, DOMIQUE, WAS NEAR ATH AT THE CEDARS-SAI MEDIL CENTER. I ASKED HIM IF HE HAD NOTIFIED MY WIFE. HE SAID HE WAS LLG OM HER HOE. LENNY GOT ON THE PHONE AND SAID, “I NEED YOU.”“WHAT HAPPENED?” I ASKED, AAID TO HEAR.“SWEENEY,” SHE ANSWERED.“I’LL BE ON THE FIRST PLANE.”I LLED GRIFF, THEN TWENTY-SEVEN, WHO LIV TWO BLOCKS AWAY OM ME NEW YORK, AND WH MUT HE WAS AT MY DOOR. HE LLED TWA AND RERVED A SEAT ON THE NEXT FLIGHT. THEN HE WENT TO AN TOMATIC TELLER MACHE AND GOT ME MONEY. AS I THREW CLOTH TO A SUSE, I HATED OVER A BLACK SU AND TIE, THKG THEY MIGHT BE BAD LUCK, BUT I PACKED THEM. BEFORE I GOT TO THE TAXI, I HUGGED GRIFF AND KISSED HIM. HE WAS TO GO THEN TO THE APARTMENT OF MY SEND SON, ALEX, AND BREAK THE NEWS TO HIM. UNIQUELY DIVIDUAL, ALEX CHOSE TO LIVE WH NO TELEPHONE ON PT STREET A RELATIVELY ACCSIBLE PART OF NEW YORK. ONLY ALEX, OF THE FOUR OF , HAD VOICED HIS DISLIKE OF JOHN SWEENEY WHEN DOMIQUE TRODUCED HIM TO OUR LIV.SHE HAD BROUGHT HIM TO NEW YORK SEVERAL MONTHS EARLIER FOR THE BOYS AND ME TO MEET. DOMIQUE WAS A SUCCSFUL YOUNG TELEVISN ACTRS WHO HAD JT MA HER FIRST MAJOR FEATURE FILM, POLTERGEIST. SWEENEY WAS THE HEAD CHEF AT MA MAISON, A WT HOLLYWOOD RTRANT SO NCERNED WH S FASHNABLE IMAGE THAT HAD AN UNLISTED TELEPHONE NUMBER TO DISURAGE THE HOI POLLOI OM ENTERG S PORTALS. WE WATCHED AN EPISO OF THE TELEVISN SERI FAME WHICH DOMIQUE WAS THE GUT STAR, AND THEN WENT OUT TO DNER. AT ONE MOMENT WHEN THE FOUR OF WERE ALONE, THE BOYS TEASED DOMIQUE ABOUT MARRIAGE, AND SHE SAID, OH NO, SHE WAS NOT GOG TO GET MARRIED, AND I KNEW SHE MEANT . I WAS RELIEVED, FOR ALTHOUGH I ULD SEE THAT SWEENEY WAS EXCSIVELY VOTED TO HER, THERE WAS SOMETHG OFF-PUTTG ABOUT HIM. THAT NIGHT I PHONED HER MOTHER AND SAID, “HE IS MUCH MORE LOVE WH HER THAN SHE IS WH HIM,” AND LENNY SAID, “YOU’RE ABSOLUTELY RIGHT.”THE NEXT MORNG ALEX TOLD ME OF AN CINT THAT HAD OCCURRED P. J. CLARKE’S AFTER I LEFT THEM. WHILE SWEENEY WAS THE MEN’S ROOM, A MAN AT THE BAR REGNIZED DOMIQUE AS THE OLR SISTER POLTERGEIST AND LLED OUT ONE OF HER L OM THE FILM: “WHAT’S HAPPENG?” DOMIQUE SCREAMS THAT LE WHEN EVIL SPIRS START TO TAKE OVER HER HOME AND E IGHTENG THGS TO HAPPEN. A FILM CLIP OF THAT SCENE HAD BEEN SHOWN SO OFTEN ON TELEVISN THAT THE LE WAS FAIAR TO PEOPLE ALL OVER THE UNTRY. THERE WAS NO FLIRTATN; WAS THE SE OF A SLIGHTLY TIPSY FAN LIGHTED TO BE THE PRENCE OF AN ACTRS HE HAD SEEN A FILM. BUT WHEN SWEENEY RETURNED TO THE TABLE AND SAW THE MAN TALKG TO DOMIQUE, HE BEME ENRAGED. HE PICKED UP THE MAN AND SHOOK HIM. ALEX SAID THAT SWEENEY’S REACTN WAS OUT OF ALL PROPORTN TO THE CINT GOG ON. ALEX SAID HE WAS SRY.THE FOLLOWG DAY I ARRIVED A FEW MUT LATE AT LUTèCE, WHERE I WAS MEETG DOMIQUE AND SWEENEY FOR LUNCH. THEY HAD NOT YET ARRIVED, SO I SAT AT A TABLE THE BAR TO WA FOR THEM. I FISHED ONE PERRIER AND ORRED ANOTHER, AND WAS BEGNG TO THK THERE HAD BEEN A MISUNRSTANDG ABOUT EHER THE TIME OR THE PLACE WHEN THEY ENTERED THE RTRANT. IT WAS A HOT SUMMER DAY, AND DOMIQUE LOOKED MARVELO A STARCHED WHE ANDY DRS, VERY CALIFORNIA-LOOKG. I WAS IMMEDIATELY AWARE THAT SHE HAD BEEN CRYG, AND THAT THERE WAS TENSN BETWEEN THEM.THE CHEF MA A GREAT FS OVER SWEENEY. THERE WAS KISSG ON BOTH CHEEKS, AND THEY SPOKE TOGETHER FRENCH. AT THE CHEF’S SUGGTN WE ATE THE SPéCIALé OF THE DAY, WHATEVER WAS, BUT THE LUNCH WAS NOT A SUCCS. I FOUND SWEENEY ILL AT EASE, NERVO, DIFFICULT TO TALK TO. IT OCCURRED TO ME THAT DOMIQUE MIGHT HAVE DIFFICULTY EXTRITG HERSELF OM SUCH A PERSON, BUT I DID NOT PURSUE THE THOUGHT.ON THE FOURTH OF JULY THE THREE OF DED AT THE RIVER CAFé UNR THE BROOKLYN BRIDGE. IT WAS A LOVELY NIGHT, AND WE WERE AT A WDOW TABLE WHERE WE ULD WATCH THE FIREWORKS. SWEENEY TOLD ME HE TEND TO LEAVE MA MAISON. HE SAID HE HAD BACKG OM A NSORTIUM OF FRENCH AND JAPANE BSMEN AND WAS GOG TO OPEN HIS OWN RTRANT ON MELROSE PLACE, A HIGHLY SIRABLE LOTN LOS ANGEL. NEVER ONCE DID HE SPEAK AFFECTNATELY OF HIS EMPLOYER, PATRICK TERRAIL, A MEMBER OF THE FRENCH RTRANT FAY THAT OWNS THE TOUR D’ARGENT PARIS. IN FACT, I SPECTED THERE WERE BAD FEELGS BETWEEN THEM.ON THAT ENDLS FLIGHT TO LOS ANGEL I DID NOT ALLOW MYSELF TO NSIR THE POSSIBILY OF HER ATH. SHE WAS MAKG A PILOT AT WARNER BROS. FOR AN NBC MISERI LLED V, AND I REMEMBER THKG THAT THEY WOULD HAVE TO SHOOT AROUND HER UNTIL SHE WAS ON HER FEET AGA. FIVE WEEKS EARLIER SHE HAD BROKEN UP WH JOHN SWEENEY, AND HE HAD MOVED OUT OF THE HOE THEY SHARED WT HOLLYWOOD. HER EXPLANATN TO ME AT THE TIME WAS, “HE’S NOT LOVE WH ME, DAD. HE’S OBSSED WH ME. IT’S DRIVG ME CRAZY.”TWO OTHER DGHTERS PRECEDG DOMIQUE DIED FANCY OM A LUNG DISEASE ONCE MON CAREAN BIRTHS KNOWN AS HYALE MEMBRANE DISEASE. DOMIQUE WAS ALL THREE DGHTERS ONE TO , TRIPLY LOVED. SHE ADORED HER OLR BROTHERS AND WAS ALWAYS TOTALLY AT EASE A SOPHISTITED WORLD WHOUT BEG SOPHISTITED HERSELF. SHE WAS A LLECTOR OF STRAY ANIMALS; HER MENAGERIE WERE A T WH A LOBOTOMY AND A LARGE DOG WH STUNTED LEGS. SHE WENT TO WTLAKE SCHOOL LOS ANGEL, THEN TO TAFT SCHOOL CONNECTICUT, THEN TO FOUNTA VALLEY SCHOOL COLORADO. AFTER THAT SHE SPENT A YEAR FLORENCE, WHERE SHE LEARNED TO SPEAK ITALIAN. TWICE SHE AND I TOOK TRIPS TO ITALY TOGETHER. EXTRAVAGANTLY EMOTNAL, SHE WAS HEARTBROKEN WHEN LENNY GAVE UP THE FAY HOME ON WALN DRIVE BEE HER WORSENG NDN HAD MA UNMANAGEABLE. I WAS NOT SURPRISED WHEN DOMIQUE ANNOUNCED HER TENTN TO BEE AN ACTRS. GRIFF, WHO IS AN ACTOR AND A PRODUCER, LATER SAID JOKGLY THAT ONE DAY SHE CID TO BEE AN ACTRS AND THE NEXT WEEK SHE WAS ON A BACK LOT MAKG A MOVIE, AND THAT OM THEN ON SHE NEVER STOPPED. IT WAS VERY NEARLY TE. SHE LOVED BEG AN ACTRS AND WAS PASSNATE ABOUT HER REER.BY THE TIME I ARRIVED LOS ANGEL AT NOON THAT SUNDAY, THE REPORT THAT DOMIQUE HAD BEEN STRANGLED OUTSI HER HOME BY HER FORMER BOYIEND AND WAS A A AT CEDARS-SAI MEDIL CENTER WAS ON ALL THE NEWS CHANNELS AND STATNS. MART CROWLEY, THE THOR OF THE BOYS THE BAND, THE FILM VERSN OF WHICH I HAD PRODUCED, MET ME AT THE AIRPORT AND FILLED ME WH WHAT LTLE RMATN HE HAD GOT OM LENNY. LENNY’S HOE ON CRCENT DRIVE WAS FULL OF PEOPLE WHEN WE GOT THERE. (IT WOULD STAY THAT WAY OM EARLY MORNG UNTIL LATE AT NIGHT FOR THE NEXT SEVEN OR EIGHT DAYS, DURG WHICH RELAY TEAMS OF IENDS MANNED THE TELEPHON, SCREENED THE LLS, HANDLED THE FFEE TAIL, ACCEPTED THE ENDLS LIVERI OF FLOWERS, MA ALL THE ARRANGEMENTS FOR OUR DAY-TO-DAY LIVG.) ALL THE TELEVISN SETS AND RADS WERE ON FOR NEWS BULLETS. IN THE MIDST OF THIS NFN SAT LENNY HER WHEELCHAIR. SHE WAS VERY LM. “THE NEWS IS NOT GOOD,” SHE SAID TO ME. AND WH MUT I HEARD THE WORDS “BRA DAMAGE” BEG WHISPERED AROUND THE HOE.MOST POPULARTMP PLANS TO DEFEND HIMSELF AGAST ELECTN CHARG BY THROWG HIS LAWYERS UNR THE B: REPORTBY BS LEVEVERYTHG TO KNOW ABOUT ARIANA GRAN AND HER NEW BOYIEND, SPONGEBOB (ETHAN SLATER)BY KENZIE BRYANTVANY FAIR’S “IT’S RAG TEENS” COVER AT 20: WHERE ARE THEY NOW?BY SAVANNAH WALSHLENNY’S MOTHER, WHO HAD HEARD THE NEWS ON THE RAD, WAS ON HER WAY OM SAN DIEGO. GRIFF AND ALEX’S PLANE WOULD BE A FEW HOURS. MY RELATIV HARTFORD LLED, AND, AS THE NEWS SPREAD, SO DID IENDS NEW YORK AND LONDON. A DOCTOR AT THE HOSPAL TELEPHONED FOR MY PERMISSN TO SERT A BOLT TO DOMIQUE’S SKULL TO RELIEVE THE PRSURE ON HER BRA. WAS ABSOLUTELY NECSARY, I ASKED. Y, HE REPLIED. ALL RIGHT, I SAID. I ASKED HIM WHEN WE ULD GO AND SEE HER. NOT YET, HE SAID.THE BOYS ARRIVED, ASHEN-FACED. WHEN THE TIME ME TO GO TO THE HOSPAL, WE WERE FULL OF DREADFUL APPREHENSN. SOME IENDS SAID TO LENNY, “YOU MTN’T GO. IT WOULD BE A TERRIBLE MISTAKE TO LOOK AT HER THIS WAY. YOU MT REMEMBER HER AS SHE WAS.” THEY WERE, OF URSE, THKG OF LENNY’S HEALTH; STRS IS THE WORST THG FOR MULTIPLE SCLEROSIS VICTIMS. SHE REPLIED, “THE MISTAKE WOULD BE IF I DIDN’T SEE HER. THAT IS WHAT I WOULD HAVE TO LIVE WH.”THE FOUR OF PROCEED SILENCE THROUGH THE MAZE OF RRIDORS LEADG TO THE TENSIVE RE UN ON THE FIFTH FLOOR OF CEDARS-SAI. ONE OF , I DON’T REMEMBER WHICH, PHED LENNY’S WHEELCHAIR, AND THE OTHER TWO FLANKED HER—A FORMATN WE WOULD TOMATILLY FALL TO MANY TIM THE YEAR THAT FOLLOWED. OUTSI THE DOUBLE DOORS OF THE UN ARE PRTED STCTNS TELLG YOU TO BUZZ AND ANNOUNCE YOURSELF. I DID SO: “THE FAY OF DOMIQUE DUNNE IS HERE.” WE WERE TOLD TO WA, THAT SOMEONE WOULD E OUT AND GET .SEVERAL PEOPLE WERE STANDG THERE, AMONG THEM THE ACTOR GEE HATON. WE EXCHANGED GREETGS. GEE SAID HIS BROTHER WAS ALSO THE ICU, AND THAT HE HAD BEEN THERE THE NIGHT BEFORE WHEN DOMIQUE WAS BROUGHT . ANOTHER MAN TRODUCED HIMSELF TO AS KEN JOHNSON, THE DIRECTOR OF THE PILOT DOMIQUE WAS WORKG ON. WAG NEARBY WAS A YOUNG ACTOR THE SAME FILM NAMED DAVID PACKER, HIS EY RED OM CRYG. PACKER, WE LEARNED, HAD BEEN DOMIQUE’S HOE AT THE TIME OF THE ATTACK AND HAD LLED THE POLICE, ALBE TOO LATE. LATER WE ALSO LEARNED THAT PACKER BEME SO IGHTENED BY THE STGGLE HE HEARD OUTSI ON THE LAWN THAT HE LEFT A MSAGE ON A IEND’S ANSWERG MACHE SAYG, “IF I DIE TONIGHT, WAS BY JOHN SWEENEY.”A NURSE APPEARED AND TOLD THAT AFTER WE HAD SEEN DOMIQUE THE DOCTORS WOULD WANT TO TALK WH . SHE SAID THAT NO ONE BUT IMMEDIATE FAY WOULD BE ALLOWED , AND ASKED TO SHOW INTIFITN. THEY WERE AAID THE PRS WOULD TRY TO PASS THEMSELV OFF AS MEMBERS OF THE FAY. SHE WARNED THAT WOULD BE A SHOCK TO LOOK AT HER, THAT WE SHOULD BE PREPARED.I WORRIED ABOUT LENNY AND LOOKED OVER AT HER. SHE CLOSED HER EY, BOWED HER HEAD, AND TOOK A EP BREATH. I WATCHED HER WILL STRENGTH TO HERSELF, THROUGH SOME NER SPIRUAL FORCE, A MOMENT SO TENSELY PRIVATE THAT I DARED NOT, EVEN LATER, QUTN HER ABOUT . OF THE FOUR OF , SHE WAS THE STRONGT WHEN WE ENTERED THE ROOM.MOST POPULARTMP PLANS TO DEFEND HIMSELF AGAST ELECTN CHARG BY THROWG HIS LAWYERS UNR THE B: REPORTBY BS LEVEVERYTHG TO KNOW ABOUT ARIANA GRAN AND HER NEW BOYIEND, SPONGEBOB (ETHAN SLATER)BY KENZIE BRYANTVANY FAIR’S “IT’S RAG TEENS” COVER AT 20: WHERE ARE THEY NOW?BY SAVANNAH WALSHAT FIRST I DID NOT REALIZE THAT THE PERSON ON THE BED WAS DOMIQUE. THERE WERE TUB HER EVERYWHERE, AND THE LIFE-SUPPORT SYSTEM ED HER TO BREATHE AND OUT WH A GROTQUE JERKG MOVEMENT THAT SEEMED A PARODY OF LIFE. HER EY WERE OPEN, MASSIVELY ENLARGED, STARG SIGHTLSLY UP AT THE CEILG. HER BETIFUL HAIR HAD BEEN SHAVED OFF. A LARGE BOLT HAD BEEN SCREWED TO HER SKULL TO RELIEVE THE PRSURE ON HER BRA. HER NECK WAS PURPLED AND SWOLLEN; VIVIDLY VISIBLE ON WERE THE MARKS OF THE MASSIVE HANDS OF THE MAN WHO HAD STRANGLED HER. IT WAS NEARLY IMPOSSIBLE TO LOOK AT HER, BUT ALSO IMPOSSIBLE TO LOOK AWAY.LENNY WHEELED HER CHAIR TO THE BED, TOOK DOMIQUE’S HAND HERS, AND SPOKE TO HER A VOICE OF PLETE LM. “HELLO, MY DARLG, ’S MOM. WE’RE ALL HERE, DOMIQUE. DAD AND GRIFF AND ALEX. WE LOVE YOU.”HER WORDS RELEASED , AND THE BOYS AND I STEPPED FORWARD AND SURROUND THE BED, EACH TOUCHG A DIFFERENT PART OF DOMIQUE. THE NURS HAD SAID THAT SHE ULD NOT HEAR , BUT WE FELT SHE ULD, AND TOOK TURNS TALKG TO HER. WE PRAYED FOR HER TO LIVE EVEN THOUGH WE KNEW THAT WOULD BE BT FOR HER TO DIE.THERE IS A SMALL NFERENCE ROOM THE ICU WHERE WE MET PERDILLY OVER THE NEXT FOUR DAYS TO DISCS HER EBBG LIFE. DR. EDWARD BRETTHOLZ TOLD THAT THE BRA SN WAS EVEN, MEANG THAT SHOWED NO LIFE, BUT THAT WOULD BE NECSARY TO TAKE THREE MORE SNS SO THAT, THE TRIAL AHEAD, THE FENSE ULD NOT CLAIM THAT CEDARS-SAI HAD REMOVED DOMIQUE OM THE LIFE-SUPPORT SYSTEM TOO SOON. THIS WAS THE FIRST MENTN OF A TRIAL. IN THE SHOCKED STATE WHICH WE WERE OPERATG, WE HAD NOT YET STARTED TO AL WH THE FACT THAT A MURR HAD TAKEN PLACE.ON THE FOURTH DAY LENNY SAID, QUE UNEXPECTEDLY, TO THE DOCTORS, “WHEN DOMIQUE DI, WE WOULD LIKE HER ANS DONATED TO THE HOSPAL.” THE BOYS AND I KNEW THAT WAS EXACTLY WHAT DOMIQUE WOULD HAVE WANTED, BUT WOULD NOT HAVE OCCURRED TO TO SAY SO AT THAT MOMENT. LENNY, ILL HERSELF WH A DISEASE FOR WHICH THERE WAS NO CURE, UNRSTOOD. DR. GRAY ELROD, WH TEARS HIS EY, SAID TWO PATIENTS THE HOSPAL WERE WAG FOR KIDNEY TRANSPLANTS. WE THEN WENT AND SAID GOOD-BYE TO DOMIQUE FOR THE LAST TIME BEFORE THEY TOOK HER OFF THE SUPPORT SYSTEM. SHE WAS WHEELED TO SURGERY FOR THE REMOVAL OF HER KIDNEYS, AND TRANSPLANT OPERATNS TOOK PLACE ALMOST IMMEDIATELY. HER HEART WAS SENT TO A HOSPAL SAN FRANCIS. THEN HER BODY WAS TURNED OVER TO THE RONER FOR TOPSY.IN THE LOS ANGEL TIM A DAY OR SO AFTER THE ATTACK, PATRICK TERRAIL, THE OWNER OF MA MAISON, SCRIBED HIS CHEF, JOHN SWEENEY, AS A “VERY PENDABLE YOUNG MAN” AND SAID HE WOULD OBTA THE BT LEGAL REPRENTATN FOR HIM. HE MA NO MENT ABOUT DOMIQUE, WHOM HE KNEW, AS HE KNEW , AND THROUGHOUT THE LONG ORAL THAT FOLLOWED HE DID NOT LL ON OR WRE A LETTER OF NDOLENCE. SCE WAS TOO EARLY THEN TO AL WH THE MAGNU OF MY FEELGS FOR THE KILLER OF MY DGHTER, PATRICK TERRAIL BEME THE TERIM OBJECT OF MY GROWG RAGE.OBTAG THE BT LEGAL REPRENTATN FOR SWEENEY TOOK AN ENOMY TURN WHEN A PUBLIC FENR, MICHAEL ALSON, WAS ASSIGNED TO HANDLE THE SE. WE HEARD OM DETECTIVE JOHNSTON THAT ALSON WAS HIGHLY ACCLAIMED AND DOGGEDLY TOUGH. ASSISTG THE PUBLIC FENR, HOWEVER, WAS JOSEPH SHAPIRO, THE LEGAL UNSEL FOR MA MAISON AND A MEMBER OF THE PRTIG LAW FIRM OF DONOVAN LEISURE NEWTON & IRVE. ALTHOUGH SHAPIRO’S ROLE ON THE FENSE TEAM WAS LATER PLAYED DOWN, HE WAS AN EVER-PRENT BUT ELIVE FIGURE OM THE NIGHT FOLLOWG THE MURR, WHEN HE VISED SWEENEY THE BEVERLY HILLS JAIL, RIGHT UP UNTIL THE DAY OF THE VERDICT, WHEN HE EXULTED THE URTROOM.AT THE TIME OF THE MURR DOMIQUE WAS NSISTENTLY INTIFIED THE PRS AS THE NIECE OF MY BROTHER AND SISTER--LAW, JOHN GREGORY DUNNE AND JOAN DIDN, RATHER THAN AS THE DGHTER OF LENNY AND ME. AT FIRST I WAS TOO STUNNED BY THE KILLG FOR THIS TO MATTER, BUT AS THE DAYS PASSED, BOTHERED ME. I SPOKE TO LENNY ABOUT ONE MORNG HER BEDROOM. SHE SAID, “OH, WHAT DIFFERENCE DO MAKE?” WH SUCH SPAIR HER VOICE THAT I FELT ASHAMED TO BE NCERNED WH SUCH A TRIVIAL MATTER AT SUCH A CCIAL TIME.IN THE ROOM WH WAS MY FORMER MOTHER--LAW, BEATRIZ SANDOVAL GRIFF GOODW, THE WIDOW OF LENNY’S FATHER, THOMAS GRIFF, AN ARIZONA TTLE RANCHER, AND OF LENNY’S STEPFATHER, EWART GOODW, AN SURANCE TYON AND RANCHER. SHE IS A STRONG, UNPROMISG WOMAN WHO HAS NEVER NOT STATED EXACTLY WHAT WAS ON HER MD ANY GIVEN SUATN, A TRA THAT HAS MA HER RPECTED IF NOT ALWAYS ENARG.MOST POPULARTMP PLANS TO DEFEND HIMSELF AGAST ELECTN CHARG BY THROWG HIS LAWYERS UNR THE B: REPORTBY BS LEVEVERYTHG TO KNOW ABOUT ARIANA GRAN AND HER NEW BOYIEND, SPONGEBOB (ETHAN SLATER)BY KENZIE BRYANTVANY FAIR’S “IT’S RAG TEENS” COVER AT 20: WHERE ARE THEY NOW?BY SAVANNAH WALSH“LISTEN TO WHAT HE’S SAYG TO YOU,” SHE SAID EMPHATILLY TO LENNY. “IT SOUNDS AS IF DOMIQUE WAS AN ORPHAN RAISED BY HER NT AND UNCLE.” LENNY LOOKED UP WH A CHANGED EXPRSN. “AND,” ADD HER MOTHER, TO UNRSRE THE POT, “SHE HAD TWO BROTHERS AS WELL.”“YOU HANDLE ,” LENNY SAID TO ME. I LLED THE PUBLICIST RUPERT ALLAN, A FAY IEND, AND EXPLAED THE SUATN TO HIM. “IT’S HURTFUL TO . IT’S AS IF WE HAD NOT ONLY LOST HER BUT BEEN NIED PARENTAGE AS WELL,” I SAID. “IT’LL BE TAKEN RE OF,” RUPERT SAID, AND WAS.ON THE MORNG OF NOVEMBER 4, WHILE THE TOPSY WAS GOG ON, I WENT TO VIS THE ELRLY MONSIGNOR AT THE CHURCH OF THE GOOD SHEPHERD BEVERLY HILLS TO MAKE THE ARRANGEMENTS FOR DOMIQUE’S FUNERAL. IN YEARS PAST THIS CHURCH WAS JOKGLY REFERRED TO AS OUR LADY OF THE CADILLACS FOR THE AFFLUENCE OF S PARISHNERS. THE HOEKEEPER AT THE RECTORY TOLD ME THE MONSIGNOR WAS THE CHURCH SAYG MASS. I WAED THE ONT PEW UNTIL HE FISHED. THEN I WENT BACK TO THE VTRY WH HIM AND EXPLAED MY REASON FOR G. HE HAD READ OF THE MURR THE NEWSPAPERS, AND I THOUGHT I TECTED HIM A SLIGHT HATN OVER HAVG THE FUNERAL OF A MURR VICTIM THE GOOD SHEPHERD CHURCH. I EXPLAED TO HIM THAT WE HAD ONCE BEEN MEMBERS OF THE PARISH, THAT DOMIQUE HAD BEEN CHRISTENED THERE BY HIM TWENTY-TWO YEARS EARLIER, AND THAT HE HAD E TO OUR HOME AFTERWARD TO THE RECEPTN. THE MEMORY WAS DIM TO HIM, SO I PERSISTED. I SAID THAT MART MANULIS, THE PRODUCER, WHO WOULD BE GIVG THE LOGY AT THE FUNERAL, WAS DOMIQUE’S GODFATHER, BUT THAT EVOKED NO REMEMBRANCE EHER. I THEN SAID THAT MARIA COOPER WAS DOMIQUE’S GODMOTHER, AND AT THAT HE LOOKED UP. HE REMEMBERED MARIA WELL, HE SAID, THE BETIFUL DGHTER OF ROCKY AND GARY COOPER. HE TOLD ME HE HAD GIVEN GARY COOPER THE LAST R WHEN HE DIED, AND HAD PERFORMED THE FUNERAL MASS. HE SAID HE HAD ALWAYS HOPED MARIA WOULD BE A NUN BUT THAT, ALAS, SHE HAD MARRIED A JEWISH FELLA (THE PIANIST BYRON JANIS). BY NOW THE CHURCH WAS A CERTATY. WE DISCSED THE MIC THAT I WANTED PLAYED, AND SETTLED AT ELEVEN A.M. SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 6, FOR THE FUNERAL.ON NOVEMBER 5 WE DISVERED THAT HE MONSIGNOR HAD ALSO BOOKED A WEDDG TO THE GOOD SHEPHERD CHURCH AT ELEVEN O’CLOCK ON SATURDAY MORNG. THE MISTAKE ME TO LIGHT WHEN THE GROOM-TO-BE READ ONE OF DOMIQUE’S OBUARI THAT HER FUNERAL WAS TO BE AT THE SAME TIME AND PLACE AS HIS WEDDG. HE TELEPHONED THE CHURCH, AND THE CHURCH NOTIFIED .GRIFF, ALEX, MART MANULIS, AND I WENT TO THE RECTORY LATE THE AFTERNOON TO TRY TO STRAIGHTEN MATTERS OUT. WE WAED ENDLSLY, BUT THE MONSIGNOR DID NOT APPEAR. THE BOYS BEME IMPATIENT AND BEGAN YELLG UP THE STAIRS OF THE RECTORY. FALLY A PRIT WH A HEAVY FLEMISH ACCENT ME DOWN, BUT HE DID NOT SEEM ANX TO GET MIXED UP AN ERROR THAT WAS NOT OF HIS MAKG. WHEN WE POTED OUT TO HIM THAT PANMONIUM WAS LIKELY TO OCCUR THE FOLLOWG MORNG UNLS STEPS WERE TAKEN, HE OPERATED FIGURG OUT A PLAN. AS THE WEDDG PEOPLE REFED TO MOVE THEIR MARRIAGE UP AN HOUR, WE AGREED TO HAVE THE FUNERAL AN HOUR LATER. IT WAS TOO LATE TO RM THE NEWSPAPERS, SO WE ARRANGED FOR TWELVE HERS TO BE AT THE CHURCH AT TEN-THIRTY TO TELL PEOPLE ARRIVG FOR THE FUNERAL TO E BACK AN HOUR LATER.“I NNOT PREHEND HOW SUCH AN ERROR ULD HAVE BEEN MA,” I SAID TO THE PRIT.“IT’S EVEN WORSE THAN YOU REALIZE, MR. DUNNE,” HE REPLIED.“WHAT DO YOU MEAN?”“THE GROOM THE WEDDG IS A IEND OF THE MAN WHO MURRED YOUR DGHTER.”THAT NIGHT ON THE NEWS WE WATCHED JOHN SWEENEY BEG ARRAIGNED FOR DOMIQUE’S MURR. HE WAS ACPANIED BY THE FENSE TEAM OF MICHAEL ALSON AND JOSEPH SHAPIRO. AS WE WATCHED, WE ALL BEGAN TO FEEL GUILTY FOR NOT HAVG SPOKEN OUT OUR TE FEELGS ABOUT SWEENEY WHEN THERE WAS STILL TIME TO SAVE DOMIQUE OM HIM. IN THE DAYS THAT FOLLOWED, HER IENDS BEGAN TO TELL HOW TERRIFIED SHE WAS OF HIM DURG THE LAST WEEKS OF HER LIFE. I FOUND OUT FOR THE FIRST TIME THAT FIVE WEEKS PREVLY HE HAD ASSLTED HER AND CHOKED HER, AND THAT SHE HAD PED OM HIM AND BROKEN OFF HER RELATNSHIP WH HIM. FRED LEOPOLD, A FAY IEND AND THE FORMER MAYOR OF BEVERLY HILLS, TOLD DURG A NDOLENCE LL THAT HE HEARD OM A SECRETARY HIS LAW OFFICE THAT JOHN SWEENEY HAD SEVERELY BEATEN ANOTHER WOMAN A YEAR OR SO EARLIER. WE PASSED ON THIS RMATN TO DETECTIVE HAROLD JOHNSTON, WHO STAYED CLOSE TO OUR FAY DURG THOSE DAYS.LATER THAT NIGHT, THE EVE OF THE FUNERAL, DOMIQUE APPEARED ON TWO TELEVISN PROGRAMS THAT HAD BEEN PREVLY SCHLED. ALSO ON TELEVISN THAT NIGHT WAS A FILM I HAD PRODUCED, NEVER BEFORE SEEN ON TELEVISN, AND ANOTHER FILM MY BROTHER HAD WRTEN, ALSO BEG SHOWN FOR THE FIRST TIME. WE DID NOT WATCH ANY OF THEM.THE DAY OF THE FUNERAL, NOVEMBER 6, WAS CREDIBLY HOT. RIDG THE FEW BLOCKS OM LENNY’S HOE ON CRCENT DRIVE TO THE GOOD SHEPHERD CHURCH AT SANTA MONI BOULEVARD AND BEDFORD DRIVE, I NOTICED THAT THE TSEL CHRISTMAS RATNS WERE GOG UP ON THE LAMPPOSTS OF BEVERLY HILLS. AS THE LIMOE PULLED UP ONT OF THE CHURCH, I WAS EPLY TOUCHED TO SEE DR. BRETTHOLZ OM CEDARS-SAI THE CROWD ARRIVG FOR THE SERVICE. LENNY, HER MOTHER, GRIFF, ALEX, AND I WERE THE FIRST R. WHEN THE CHFFR OPENED THE DOOR FOR TO GET OUT, A HOT GT OF WD BLEW MULTILORED WEDDG NFETTI TO THE R.THE BOYS HELPED THEIR GRANDMOTHER OUT, AND THEN WE GOT THE WHEELCHAIR OUT OF THE TNK AND MOVED LENNY OM THE R TO THE CHAIR.“THERE’S THE MOTHER,” WE HEARD SOMEONE SAY, AND A PHALANX OF PHOTOGRAPHERS AND TELEVISN MERAMEN SCEND ON , G WH A FOOT OF LENNY’S FACE. BEE THERE WERE SO MANY STEPS THE ONT OF THE CHURCH, WE CID TO TAKE THE WHEELCHAIR AROUND TO THE BACK, WHERE THERE WAS A RAMP ENTRANCE FOR HANDIPPED PEOPLE. THE MERAMEN AND PHOTOGRAPHERS WALKED BACKWARD ONT OF , SHOOTG FILM. “NO MATTER WHAT THEY DO, DON’T SAY ANYTHG,” I SAID TO THE BOYS.LENNY HAS EXTRAORDARY DIGNY. DRSED CURLY FOR A FUNERAL A LONG LAVENR DRS WH PEARLS AND A LARGE STRAW HAT, SHE MA NO ATTEMPT TO TURN AWAY OM THE TELEVISN MERAMEN. THEY SEEMED TO RPECT HER, AND ONE BY ONE THEY DROPPED AWAY.THE CHURCH WAS FILLED TO PACY, NOT WH CURSY SEEKERS ATTRACTED BY THE SENSATNALISM OF DOMIQUE’S ATH, BUT WH PEOPLE WHO KNEW HER AND LOVED HER. DURG THE SERVICE THE BOYS READ A POEM BY YEATS, AND MART MANULIS, WHO HAD BROUGHT ME TO CALIFORNIA TWENTY-SIX YEARS EARLIER TO WORK FOR HIM ON PLAYHOE 90, LIVERED THE LOGY. “EVERY YEAR OF HER LIFE,” HE SAID, “WE SPENT CHRISTMAS EVE TOGETHER AT A ROL SG AT OUR HOE. WHEN SHE ULD BARELY TALK, SHE STOOD BETWEEN HER BROTHERS AND SANG WHAT REMBLED ‘O LTLE TOWN OF BETHLEHEM’ AND SPOKE A SGLE LE OM THE GOSPEL OF SAT LE, TGHT TO HER PATIENTLY BY HER DOTG PARENTS: ‘BEE THERE WAS NO ROOM AT THE N.’ AND STANDG THERE WH THOSE HUGE GRAVE EY, SHE WAS, LIFE, AN FANTA BY GOYA, ONLY MORE BETIFUL.”A FEW NIGHTS AFTER THE FUNERAL LENNY AND I SAT HER BEDROOM, SHE HER BED, I ON , AND WATCHED DOMIQUE HILL STREET BLU. THE EPISO HAD BEEN DITED TO HER ON THE AIR BY THE PRODUCERS. WE DID NOT TALK. WE DID NOT CRY. WE SIMPLY STARED AT THE SET. SHE LOOKED SO CREDIBLY YOUNG. SHE PLAYED A BATTERED CHILD. WHAT WE WOULD NOT KNOW UNTIL THE TRIAL WAS THAT THE MARKS ON HER NECK WERE REAL, OM JOHN SWEENEY’S ASSLT ON HER FIVE WEEKS BEFORE HE KILLED HER.ON MY FIRST DAY BACK NEW YORK AFTER THE FUNERAL, I WAS MUGGED LEAVG THE SUBWAY AT TWELVE NOON TIM SQUARE. I THOUGHT I WAS THE ONLY PERSON ON THE STAIRWAY I WAS ASCENDG TO THE STREET, BUT SUDNLY I WAS GRABBED OM BEHD AND PULLED OFF BALANCE. I HEARD THE SOUND OF A SWCHBLA OPENG, AND A HAND—WHICH WAS ALL I EVER SAW OF MY ASSAILANT—REACHED AROUND AND HELD THE KNIFE ONT OF MY FACE. FROM OUT OF MY MOUTH ME A SOUND OF RAGE THAT I DID NOT KNOW I WAS PABLE OF MAKG. IT WAS MORE ANIMAL THAN HUMAN, AND I WAS LATER TOLD HAD BEEN HEARD A BLOCK AWAY. WH SENDS PEOPLE ME NNG OM EVERY DIRECTN. IN HIS PANIC MY ASSAILANT SUPERFICIALLY SLASHED MY CH WH THE BLA OF HIS KNIFE, BUT I HAD BEATEN HIM. I HAD BOTH MY WALLET AND MY LIFE, AND I REALIZED THAT, UNURAGEO AS I AM ABOUT PHYSIL BAT, I WOULD HAVE FOUGHT BEFORE GIVG . WHOEVER THAT NAMELS, FACELS MAN WAS, TO ME HE WAS JOHN SWEENEY.IF DOMIQUE HAD BEEN KILLED AN TOMOBILE ACCINT, HORRIBLE AS THAT WOULD HAVE BEEN, AT LEAST WOULD HAVE BEEN OVER, AND MOURNG ULD HAVE BEGUN. A MURR IS AN ONGOG EVENT UNTIL THE DAY OF THE SENTENCG, AND MOURNG HAS TO BE POSTPONED. AFTER SEVERAL TRIPS WT FOR PRELIMARY HEARGS, I RETURNED TO LOS ANGEL JULY FOR THE TRIAL.FOR A WHILE I DROVE DOMIQUE’S ELECTRIC BLUE NVERTIBLE VOLKSWAGEN. IT HAD STOOD UNED THE DRIVEWAY OF LENNY’S HOE SCE THE MURR, A REMR OF HER THAT WE NEHER WANTED TO LOOK AT NOR ULD BEAR TO GET RID OF. I FELT STRANGE THE R, TOO OLD BY FAR TO BE DRIVG ; I ULD ALWAYS IMAGE HER , YOUNG AND PRETTY, DRIVG TOO FAST, HER BETIFUL LONG HAIR STREAMG BEHD HER. IN THE GLOVE PARTMENT I FOUND A PAIR OF HER SUNGLASS, THE ON SHE LLED HER ANNIE HALL GLASS. I HAD BOUGHT THEM FOR HER FLORENCE WHEN I VISED HER SCHOOL THERE. I TOOK THEM OUT OF THE GLOVE PARTMENT AND PUT THEM MY BRIEFSE. THROUGHOUT THE TRIAL, WHEN THE GOG GOT ROUGH, I WOULD HOLD THEM MY HAND, OR TOUCH THEM THE SI POCKET OF MY JACKET NEXT TO MY HEART, AS IF I ULD RIVE STRENGTH OM HER THROUGH THEM.ALEX WAS LIVG ON CRCENT DRIVE WH LENNY. GRIFF AND HIS GIRLIEND, THE ACTRS BROOKE ADAMS, HAD RENTED A HOE MALIBU. I WAS STAYG AT MY OLD IEND TOM MCDERMOTT’S HOE HOLMBY HILLS. ON THE SATURDAY AFTERNOON BEFORE THE MONDAY MORNG WHEN THE JURY SELECTN WAS TO START, LENNY ROUND UP AT HER HOE. SHE HAD RECEIVED A LL OM A JOURNALIST IEND OF THE FAY, WHO SAID HE WANTED TO MEET WH TO LIVER A MSAGE OM MIKE ALSON, THE FENSE ATTORNEY REPRENTG JOHN SWEENEY. WE ALL HAD CUR FEELGS ABOUT THE MEETG. WHY SHOULD THE LAWYER FOR OUR DGHTER’S MURRER BE NTACTG THROUGH A JOURNALIST RATHER THAN THROUGH THE DISTRICT ATTORNEY? AT THAT POT THE PROCEEDGS OUR RELATNSHIP WH THE DISTRICT ATTORNEY, STEVEN BARSHOP, WAS STILL VERY FORMAL. WE LLED HIM MR. BARSHOP, AND HE LLED MR. AND MRS. DUNNE. WE DID NOT EVEN HAVE HIS HOME TELEPHONE NUMBER. WE CID ADVANCE THAT NO MATTER WHAT WAS SAID TO AT THE MEETG WE WOULD LISTEN TO THE MSAGE AND MAKE NO MENT.THE PURPOSE OF THE JOURNALIST’S VIS WAS TO OFFER A PLEA BARGA SO THAT THE SE WOULD NOT HAVE TO GO TO TRIAL. HE SAID THAT SWEENEY WAS FULL OF REMORSE AND WAS WILLG TO GO TO PRISON. SWEENEY WOULD PLEAD GUILTY TO A RCED CHARGE OF MANSLGHTER AND WOULD SERVE SEVEN AND A HALF YEARS, BUT HE WANTED THE ASSLT CHARGE, BASED ON HIS ATTACK ON DOMIQUE FIVE WEEKS BEFORE THE MURR, DROPPED. THE JOURNALIST SAID THAT ALSON SAW THE SE, NOT AS A CRIME, BUT AS A TRAGEDY, OF “A BLUE-LLAR KID WHO GOT MIXED UP BEVERLY HILLS SOCIETY AND ULDN’T HANDLE .”WE HAD BEEN DOWN THE PLEA BARGA ROAD BEFORE. FIVE MONTHS EARLIER, FEBARY, AFTER THE PRELIMARY HEARG ON THE ASSLT CHARGE, A PLEA BARGA HAD BEEN OFFERED TO BY ALSON THROUGH THE DISTRICT ATTORNEY. AT THAT TIME WE HAD ACCEPTED , FEELG THAT LENNY’S HEALTH WOULD BE ENDANGERED BY THE TRIAL. I HAD ALSO SEEN AT THE HEARG WHAT A THLS PLAYER ALSON WAS THE URTROOM. LATER, MAY, ALSON HAD RENEGED ON THE PLEA BARGA AND OPENED UP THE WHOLE MATTER OF THE TRIAL, WHICH WE THOUGHT HAD BEEN PUT TO RT. NOW, WH TWO DAYS OF THE BEGNG OF JURY SELECTN, WE WERE BEG OFFERED, THROUGH A THIRD PARTY, ANOTHER PLEA BARGA, OM WHICH THE DISTRICT ATTORNEY HAD SIMPLY BEEN EXCLUD. I FELT DISTSTFUL AND MANIPULATED. I SPISED THE FACT THAT WE WERE SUPPOSED TO BE MOVED THAT SWEENEY WAS REMORSEFUL AND “WILLG” TO SERVE SEVEN AND A HALF YEARS.ALTHOUGH THE JOURNALIST WAS ONLY A MSENGER THE SUATN, THE MEETG BEME STRAED AS HE PRENTED ALSON’S VIEWPOTS. DOUBTS WERE PUT OUR MDS ABOUT THE ABILY OF STEVEN BARSHOP. THERE WAS EVEN A SUGGTN THAT DOMIQUE WAS A PARTICIPANT THE CRIME. NEIGHBORS WOULD BE LLED, WE WERE TOLD, WHO WOULD TTIFY THAT FIGHTS WERE MONPLACE BETWEEN DOMIQUE AND SWEENEY. THE JOURNALIST SAID THAT IF THE TWO SNCH WHO HAD E FORWARD WERE PUT ON THE STAND, ALSON WOULD “CUT THEM OFF AT THE KNE.” AT THE TIME I DIDN’T KNOW WHAT SNCH WERE; THEY ARE FELLOW PRISONERS WHO BETRAY NFINC OF THE CELL FOR LSENED SENTENC. (ONE PRISONER REPORTED THAT SWEENEY HAD NFSED TO HIM THAT HE THOUGHT HE HAD THE POLICE BELIEVG HE HAD NOT TEND TO KILL DOMIQUE, AND ANOTHER SAID THAT SWEENEY HAD TOLD HIM THAT DOMIQUE WAS A SNOB, TOO AMB, WHO SERVED WHAT SHE GOT.)THE JOURNALIST TALKED A GREAT AL ABOUT A LAWYER LLED PL FZGERALD. IN THE MONTHS AHEAD I WAS NEVER TO MEET FZGERALD, BUT HE WAS OFTEN PRENTED NVERSATN AS A SAGE OF THE URT SYSTEM, WH TRACTORS AS VOL AS HIS ADMIRERS. A FORMER PUBLIC FENR, FZGERALD WAS OCSNALLY APPOTED AS A NFLICT LAWYER BY JUDGE BURTON S. KATZ, WHOSE URTROOM THE SE WAS BEG TRIED. A MOR PERSISTED AFTER THE TRIAL THAT HE WROTE JUDGE KATZ’S ASTONISHG REVERSAL SPEECH ON THE DAY OF THE SENTENCG. HE WAS ALSO A CLOSE IEND OF MICHAEL ALSON’S. ON THAT SATURDAY AFTERNOON, BEFORE THE JURY SELECTN HAD BEGUN, PL FZGERALD WAS INTIFIED AS THE SOURCE OF THE RMATN, REERATED AGA AND AGA BY THE JOURNALIST WHO VISED , THAT MIKE ALSON WAS A WONRFUL MAN.MOST POPULARTMP PLANS TO DEFEND HIMSELF AGAST ELECTN CHARG BY THROWG HIS LAWYERS UNR THE B: REPORTBY BS LEVEVERYTHG TO KNOW ABOUT ARIANA GRAN AND HER NEW BOYIEND, SPONGEBOB (ETHAN SLATER)BY KENZIE BRYANTVANY FAIR’S “IT’S RAG TEENS” COVER AT 20: WHERE ARE THEY NOW?BY SAVANNAH WALSHIT HAD NOT BEEN MY PERSONAL EXPERIENCE TO FD MIKE ALSON A WONRFUL MAN. TWICE DURG THE FEBARY PRELIMARY HEARG HE HAD ADDRSED ME THE RRIDOR OUTSI THE URTROOM AS MR. SWEENEY, AS IF MISTAKG ME FOR THE FATHER OF THE KILLER RATHER THAN THE FATHER OF THE VICTIM. A SEASONED URTROOM OBSERVER SUGGTED TO ME THAT SCE I WAS A SYMPATHETIC FIGURE THE URTROOM, HAD BEEN ALSON’S TENTN, BY THIS OBV ERROR, TO CE ME TO MAKE SOME KD OF SLUR ON HIM PUBLIC. DURG THAT SAME HEARG A YOUNG IEND OF DOMIQUE’S NAMED BRYAN COOK REUNTED A NIGHT ON THE TOWN WH HIS GIRLIEND, DENISE DENNEHY, AND DOMIQUE AND SWEENEY DURG WHICH SEVERAL BOTTL OF CHAMPAGNE WERE NSUMED. SGLG DOMIQUE OUT OM THE QUARTET OF CELEBRANTS, ALSON, QUTNG COOK, ASKED SEVERAL TIM, “WHEN MISS DUNNE GOT OM THE BARS, HOW DNK WAS SHE?” THE OBV TENT OF THIS UGLY REPETN WAS TO GIVE THE IMPRSN THE URTROOM THAT MY ACTRS DGHTER WAS AN OUT-ON-THE-TOWN DNKARD. NO AMOUNT OF LDATORY MENT, AFTER THOSE PRELIMARY HEARGS, WOULD EVER NVCE ME THAT MIKE ALSON WAS A WONRFUL MAN. MTACHED AND EXTREMELY SHORT, HIS HEAD TOPPED WH A FULL TOUPEE, ALSON MA ME THK OF AN ANGRY MIATURE BULLDOG.THE JOURNALIST’S MISSN, THOUGH STIGATED WH GOOD TENTNS, ONLY ENGENRED BAD FEELGS.AT NE O’CLOCK ON MONDAY MORNG, JULY 11, WE GATHERED STEVEN BARSHOP’S OFFICE THE SANTA MONI COURTHOE. ALTERNATELY TOUGH-TALKG AND PROFSNAL, THE DISTRICT ATTORNEY IS ABOUT FORTY. HE ACHIEVED PUBLIC REGNN FOR HIS PROSECUTN OF THE KILLERS OF SARAI RIBIFF, THE JOURNALIST NIECE OF SENATOR ABRAHAM RIBIFF. WE FELT LUCKY THAT BARSHOP HAD BEEN ASSIGNED TO OUR SE BY ROBERT PHILIBOSIAN, THE DISTRICT ATTORNEY OF LOS ANGEL COUNTY, BUT WE FELT THAT HE DID NOT WANT ANY PERSONAL VOLVEMENT WH . ALTHOUGH NEVER DISURTEO, HE WAS BSQUE, AND HE MA VERY CLEAR THAT HE WAS NNG THE SHOW AND WOULD NOT TOLERATE ANY TERFERENCE.BARSHOP WAS ANGERED WHEN WE TOLD HIM THAT A PLEA BARGA HAD BEEN OFFERED TO BY ALSON THROUGH A JOURNALIST. “YOU DIDN’T ACCEPT , DID YOU?” HE ASKED. WE SAID WE HAD NOT. “THE MATTER IS OUT OF YOUR HANDS,” HE SAID. “THE STATE WISH TO PROCEED WH THIS TRIAL.”THAT DAY HE GAVE HIS HOME PHONE NUMBER, AND FOR THE FIRST TIME WE LLED EACH OTHER BY OUR FIRST NAM.THE ST OF CHARACTERS WAS GATHERG. DOWN THE RRIDOR OM THE DISTRICT ATTORNEY’S OFFICE SEVERAL HUNDRED POTENTIAL JURORS WERE LG ABOUT, WAG TO BE LLED FOR EXAMATN. OBSERVG THE SCENE OM THE BENCH ALONG THE WALL WAS A GROUP KNOWN AS THE URTHOE GROUPI, OLD PEOPLE OM SANTA MONI WHO E TO THE URTHOE EVERY DAY TO WATCH THE MURR TRIALS. THEY KNOW ALL THE JUDG, ALL THE LAWYERS, ALL THE S, AND ALL THE GOSSIP. AN OLD MAN A BLUE POLKA-DOT SHIRT AND A BASEBALL HAT WH “HAWAII” ON ANNOUNCED TO THE GROUP THAT HE WAS WAG TO SEE SWEENEY.“WHO’S SWEENEY?” ASKED AN OLD WOMAN WH JET BLACK, TIGHTLY PERMED HAIR.“THE GUY WHO KILLED THE MOVIE STAR,” HE ANSWERED.“WHAT MOVIE STAR?”“DOMIQUE SOMEBODY.”“NEVER HEARD OF HER.”I ASKED A MIDDLE-AGED WOMAN BLACK SLACKS AND A TAN BLOE WHO WAS RRYG A SMALL RED SUSE AND PEERG THE WDOWS OF THE DOORS TO COURTROOM D WHERE EVERYONE WAS. SHE SAID THEY HAD BROKEN FOR LUNCH. I ASKED WHAT TIME THEY WOULD BE BACK, AND SHE SAID AT TWO O’CLOCK. I THANKED HER. MY SON ALEX TOLD ME THE WOMAN WAS SWEENEY’S MOTHER, WHO HAD JT ARRIVED AFTER A TWO-DAY B TRIP OM HAZLETON, PENNSYLVANIA. I HAD NOT THOUGHT OF SWEENEY TERMS OF FAY, ALTHOUGH I KNEW HE HAD DIVORCED PARENTS AND WAS THE OLST OF SIX CHILDREN, AND THAT HIS MOTHER HAD BEEN A BATTERED WIFE. IT WAS A WELL-KNOWN FACT AMONG THE PEOPLE WHO KNEW JOHN SWEENEY THAT HE HAD LONG SCE PUT DISTANCE BETWEEN HIMSELF AND HIS FAY. ALEX SAID THAT HE HAD BEEN STG NEXT TO MRS. SWEENEY THE URTROOM EARLIER, NOT KNOWG WHO SHE WAS, WHEN JOSEPH SHAPIRO ME OVER TO HER, ADDRSED HER BY NAME, AND SAID THAT HE DISLIKED BEG THE ONE TO GIVE HER THE MSAGE, BUT HER SON DID NOT WISH TO SEE HER. ALEX SAID HER EY HAD FILLED WH TEARS. FOR THE NEXT SEVEN WEEKS WE SAT ACROSS THE AISLE OM HER EVERY DAY, AND THOUGH WE NEVER SPOKE, WE FELT PASSN FOR HER AND KNEW THAT SHE TURN FELT PASSN FOR THE DREADFUL SUATN THAT TERLOCKED OUR FAI.THE JURY SELECTN TOOK TWO WEEKS. EACH SI ULD ELIMATE, BY WAY OF PEREMPTORY CHALLENGE, TWENTY-SIX PEOPLE OM THE MA JURY BEFORE ARRIVG AT THE TWELVE, AND SIX OM THE ALTERNATE JURY BEFORE ARRIVG AT THE SIX. PEOPLE WHO HAD HAD VLENT CRIM THEIR FAI WERE TOMATILLY EXCED. WOMEN ACTIVISTS AND PEOPLE OF OBV TELLIGENCE WHO ASKED PERTENT QUTNS WERE ELIMATED BY THE FENSE. “WHAT I’M LOOKG FOR ARE TWELVE FASCISTS, AND ALSON’S LOOKG FOR TWELVE BLEEDG-HEART LIBERALS OR WEIRDOS, AND WE’LL ARRIVE SOMEWHERE BETWEEN,” SAID STEVEN BARSHOP TO ME AT ONE POT. ALSON HAD ANNOUNCED THAT HIS FENSE WOULD BE BASED MOSTLY ON PSYCHIATRIC FDGS. A WRER-PHOTOGRAPHER WHO WAS BEG QUTNED SAID HE WOULD NOT ACCEPT THE TTIMONY OF PSYCHIATRISTS AND PSYCHOLOGISTS AS FACT. HE FURTHER SAID HE FOUND FENSE ATTORNEYS MANIPULATIVE, TO WHICH ALSON REPLIED, “SUPPOSE YOU DON’T LIKE THE WAY I B MY HAIR. WOULD THAT AFFECT THE WAY YOU LISTEN TO THE TTIMONY?” I FOUND THIS AN EXTRAORDARY IMAGE FOR A LAWYER WHO WORE A TOUPEE TO E, AND THEN I REALIZE THAT HE MT THK THAT WE THOUGHT THAT THE QUARTER POUND OF HAIR TAPED TO THE TOP OF HIS HEAD WAS REAL. THIS WOULD HELP ME LATER TO UNRSTAND THE TOTAL NVICTN WH WHICH HE PRENTED HIS CLIENT’S VERSN OF THE EVENTS SURROUNDG THE MURR, WHICH WE KNEW TO BE UNTE.PRIDG OVER THE SE WAS JUDGE BURTON S. KATZ. IN HIS FORTI, JUDGE KATZ GIV THE IMPRSN OF A MAN GREATLY PLEASED WH HIS GOOD LOOKS. HE IS EXPENSIVELY BARBERED, EPLY TANNED, AND NOTICEABLY DRSED A MANNER ASSOCIATED MORE WH HOLLYWOOD AGENTS THAN WH SUPERR COURT JUDG. HE HAS TTED AVIATOR GLASS, AND ON THE FIRST DAY HE WAS WEARG SIGNER JEANS, GLOSSY WHE LOAFERS, AND NO NECKTIE BENEATH HIS JUDICIAL ROB. EVERY SEAT THE URTROOM WAS FILLED, AND JUDGE KATZ SEEMED TO LIKE PLAYG TO THE DIENCE. HIS EXPLANATNS TO THE PROSPECTIVE JURORS WERE NCISE AND CLEAR, AND HE MA HIMSELF PLEASG TO THEM. HE SAID FUNNY THGS TO MAKE THEM LGH, BUT THEN WAS REFUL TO WARN THEM AGAST LEVY.THE PLETED JURY NSISTED OF NE MEN AND THREE WOMEN. THE MAN WHO BEME THE FOREMAN RAN A STRG OF BOWLG ALLEYS. ONE OF THE MEN WAS A POSTMAN, ANOTHER A BUTCHER. ONE WORKED FOR AN AIRLE AND ANOTHER FOR A PUTER PANY. ONE WAS A TEACHER. ONE HAD A JUVENILE LQUENT SON SERVG ON A WORK FARM. TWO OF THE MEN WERE BLACK. ONE OF THE WOMEN WAS AN IRISH CATHOLIC WIDOW WH SIX CHILDREN, CLUDG A TWENTY-TWO-YEAR-OLD DGHTER. ALTHOUGH WE HAD HOPED FOR MORE WOMEN, WE WERE PLEASED WH THE MAKP OF THE JURY. ON THE STCTNS OF THE JUDGE, NOT SO MUCH AS A NOD WAS EVER EXCHANGED BETWEEN , NOT EVEN WHEN WE LUNCHED THE SAME RTRANT OR MET THE LAVATORY. HOWEVER, I FELT I GREW TO KNOW THEM AS THE WEEKS PASSED, EVEN THOUGH STEVEN BARSHOP OFTEN TOLD ME, “DON’T EVER ANTICIPATE A JURY. THEY’LL FOOL YOU EVERY TIME.”JUDGE KATZ’S RELATNSHIP WH THE JURY BORRED ON THE FLIRTAT, AND THEY RPOND KD. IF THE URT WAS LLED FOR TEN, JUDGE KATZ VARIABLY BEGAN AROUND ELEVEN, WH ELABORATE AND CHARMG APOLOGI TO THE JURY. ONE MONDAY MORNG HE TOLD THEM HE HAD HAD A GREAT WEEKEND ENSENADA, THAT HE HAD HAD THE TOP DOWN ON HIS R BOTH WAYS, AND THAT HE WISHED THEY HAD BEEN WH HIM. THE LADI LGHED LIGHTEDLY AND THE MEN GRNED BACK AT HIM.OUR FAY WAS NEVER FAVORED WH JUDGE KATZ’S CHARMS, NOT EVEN TO THE POT OF SIMPLE URTI. FOR SEVEN WEEKS HE MISPRONOUNCED DOMIQUE’S NAME, SISTENTLY LLG HER BY MY NAME, DOMICK. PEOPLE WANRED AND OUT OF THE URTROOM; LAWYERS OM OTHER S CHATTED WH THE CLERK OR ED THE BAILIFF’S TELEPHONE. THE MICROPHONE ON THE WNS STAND FELL OFF S MOORGS NUMERABLE TIM AND EHER WENT AD OR EMTED A LOUD ELECTRONIC SCREECH, AND WAS NEVER FIXED.IT IS THE FASHN AMONG THE CRIMAL ATERNY TO FD GOD, AND SWEENEY, THE KILLER, WAS NO EXCEPTN. HE ARRIVED DAILY THE URTROOM CLUTCHG A BIBLE, DRSED BLACK, LOOKG LIKE A SACRISTAN. THE BIBLE WAS A PROP; SWEENEY NEVER READ , HE JT RTED HIS FOLD HANDS ON . HE ALSO WEPT REGULARLY. ONE DAY THE URT HAD TO BE RECSED BEE HE CLAIMED THE OTHER PRISONERS HAD BEEN HARASSG HIM BEFORE HE ENTERED, AND HE NEED TIME TO CRY PRIVATE. I ULD NOT BELIEVE THAT THE JURORS WOULD BUY SUCH A PERFORMANCE. “YOU MARK MY WORDS,” SAID STEVEN BARSHOP, WATCHG HIM. “SOMETHG WEIRD IS GOG TO HAPPEN THIS TRIAL. I N FEEL .”ON JULY 20 BARSHOP LLED TO SAY THAT ALSON DID NOT WANT LENNY AT THE TRIAL BEE HER PRENCE A WHEELCHAIR WOULD CREATE UNDUE SYMPATHY FOR HER THAT WOULD BE PREJUDICIAL TO SWEENEY. SHE WAS TO APPEAR URT THE FOLLOWG DAY SO THAT THE JUDGE ULD HEAR WHAT SHE HAD TO SAY AND CI IF WAS RELEVANT TO THE TRIAL.WE BEGAN TO WORRY. IT WAS BEG APPARENT THAT NEARLY EVERYTHG ALSON REQUTED WAS BEG GRANTED. ALSON REGNIZED KATZ’S ENORMO APPETE FOR FLATTERY AND DULGED SHAMELSLY. A MARARIE SPRANG UP BETWEEN THE JUDGE AND THE PUBLIC FENR, AND THE DIMUTIVE ALSON MA HIMSELF A WILLG PARTICIPANT A NNG SERI OF “SHORT” JOK DULGED BY THE JUDGE AT HIS EXPENSE TO THE LIGHT OF THE JURY. IT WAS BEG EQUALLY APPARENT THAT THE DISTRICT ATTORNEY, STEVEN BARSHOP, WAS ILL FAVORED BY THE JUDGE.LENNY DID NOT TAKE THE STAND THE FOLLOWG DAY. SHE WAS PRECED BY LILLIAN PIERCE, WHO HAD BEEN A GIRLIEND OF JOHN SWEENEY’S BEFORE MY DGHTER. DETECTIVE HAROLD JOHNSTON HAD TRACKED HER DOWN AFTER RECEIVG A TELEPHONE TIP OM LYNNE BRENNAN, A BEVERLY HILLS PUBLICIST, WHO HAD ONCE BEEN HER IEND AND KNEW HER STORY. LILLIAN PIERCE APPEARED BY SUBPOENA ISSUED BY THE PROSECUTN AND WAS KNOWN ADVANCE TO BE A RELUCTANT WNS. LATER WE HEARD THAT SHE HAD SAT A R OUTSI THE CHURCH AT DOMIQUE’S FUNERAL AND CRIED, FEELG TOO GUILTY TO GO SI. AT ALSON’S REQUT, HER TTIMONY WAS GIVEN OUT OF THE PRENCE OF THE JURY ORR TO TERME S ADMISSIBILY AS EVINCE.MOST POPULARTMP PLANS TO DEFEND HIMSELF AGAST ELECTN CHARG BY THROWG HIS LAWYERS UNR THE B: REPORTBY BS LEVEVERYTHG TO KNOW ABOUT ARIANA GRAN AND HER NEW BOYIEND, SPONGEBOB (ETHAN SLATER)BY KENZIE BRYANTVANY FAIR’S “IT’S RAG TEENS” COVER AT 20: WHERE ARE THEY NOW?BY SAVANNAH WALSHAN ATTRACTIVE AND WELL-DRSED WOMAN HER THIRTI, LILLIAN PIERCE WAS VERY NERVO AND KEPT GLANCG OVER AT SWEENEY, WHO DID NOT LOOK AT HER. SHE HAD, SHE ADMTED, BEEN NTACT THE DAY BEFORE WH JOSEPH SHAPIRO, THE MA MAISON LAWYER. WHEN THE DISTRICT ATTORNEY STARTED TO QUTN HER, HER ACUNT OF HER RELATNSHIP WH JOHN SWEENEY WAS SO SHOCKG THAT SHOULD HAVE PUT TO RT FOREVER THE FENSE STAND THAT THE STRANGULATN ATH OF DOMIQUE DUNNE AT THE HANDS OF JOHN SWEENEY WAS AN ISOLATED CINT. HE WAS, BEME PERFECTLY APPARENT, A CLASSIC ABER OF WOMEN, AND HIS WEAPON WAS HIS HANDS.LILLIAN PIERCE SAID THAT ON TEN SEPARATE OCSNS DURG THEIR TWO-YEAR RELATNSHIP HE HAD BEATEN HER. SHE HAD BEEN HOSPALIZED TWICE, ONCE FOR SIX DAYS, ONCE FOR FOUR. SWEENEY HAD BROKEN HER NOSE, PUNCTURED HER EARDM, LLAPSED HER LUNG, THROWN ROCKS AT HER WHEN SHE TRIED TO PE OM HIM. SHE HAD SEEN HIM, SHE SAID, FOAM AT THE MOUTH WHEN HE LOST NTROL, AND SMASH FURNURE AND PICTUR. AS SHE SPOKE, THE URTROOM WAS ABSOLUTELY SILENT.ALSON WAS CENSED BY THE IMPACT OF LILLIAN PIERCE’S STORY, MA MORE CHILLG BY HER QUIET RECAL OF ALL THE ACTS OF VLENCE THAT SHE HAD SURVIVED. HE BEME VIC WH HER. “WERE YOU NOT DNK?” HE ASKED HER. “WERE YOU NOT DGGED?” HIS IMPLITN WAS THAT SHE HAD GOT WHAT SHE SERVED. HE TRIED REPEATEDLY TO GET HER TO VEER OM HER STORY, BUT SHE REMAED STEADFAST.“LET ME REMD YOU, MISS PIERCE,” HE SAID TTILY AT ONE POT, SHUFFLG THROUGH A SHEAF OF PAPERS, “WHEN YOU MET WH MR. JOE SHAPIRO AND ME FOR LUNCH ON NOVEMBER THIRD, YOU SAID…” I STOPPED FOLLOWG THE SENTENCE. MY MD REMAED AT THE DATE NOVEMBER 3. ON NOVEMBER 3 DOMIQUE WAS STILL ON THE LIFE-SUPPORT SYSTEM AT THE CEDARS-SAI. SHE WAS NOT PRONOUNCED LEGALLY AD UNTIL NOVEMBER 4. SO EVEN WHILE DOMIQUE LAY DYG, EFFORTS WERE BEG MA TO EE HER KILLER BY MEN WHO KNEW VERY WELL THAT THIS WAS NOT HIS FIRST DISPLAY OF VLENCE. ALSON KNEW, AND SENT A JOURNALIST TO OUR HOME WH THE LACHRYMOSE MSAGE THAT HE SAW DOMIQUE’S ATH, NOT AS A CRIME, BUT AS A TRAGEDY. PATRICK TERRAIL HAD TOLD DETECTIVE JOHNSTON THAT HE HAD SEEN SWEENEY ACT VLENTLY ONLY ONCE, WHEN HE “PUNCHED OUT” A TELEPHONE BOOTH THE SOUTH OF FRANCE. IT IS A FACT OF THE LEGAL SYSTEM THAT ALL RMATN GATHERED BY THE PROSECUTN RELEVANT TO THE SE IS AVAILABLE TO THE FENSE. THE REVERSE IS NOT TE. IF DETECTIVE JOHNSTON HAD NOT LEARNED ABOUT LILLIAN PIERCE OM A TELEPHONE TIP, HER EXISTENCE WOULD HAVE BEEN UNKNOWN TO . I FELT HATRED FOR MICHAEL ALSON. HIS OBJECT WAS TO W; NOTHG ELSE MATTERED.STEVEN BARSHOP CROSS-EXAMED LILLIAN PIERCE. “LET ME ASK YOU, MISS PIERCE, DO YOU E OM A WELL-TO-DO FAY?” ALSON OBJECTED. “I AM TRYG TO TABLISH A PATTERN,” BARSHOP TOLD THE JUDGE.AT THAT MOMENT—ONE OF THE MOST EXTRAORDARY I HAVE EVER EXPERIENCED—WE SAW AN ENRAGED JOHN SWEENEY, HIS PROP BIBLE FLYG, JUMP UP OM HIS SEAT AT THE UNSEL TABLE AND TAKE OFF FOR THE REAR DOOR OF THE URTROOM WHICH LEADS TO THE JUDGE’S CHAMBERS AND THE HOLDG-CELL AREA. VELMA SMH, THE URT CLERK, GAVE A STARTLED CRY. LILLIAN PIERCE, ON THE STAND, DID THE SAME. WE HEARD SOMEONE SHOUT, “GET HELP!” SILENT ALARMS WERE ACTIVATED BY JUDGE KATZ AND VELMA SMH. THE BAILIFF, PL TURNER, LEAPT TO HIS FEET A PANTHERLIKE MOVEMENT AND MA A LUNGE FOR SWEENEY, GRASPG HIM AROUND THE CHT OM BEHD. WH SENDS FOUR ARMED GUARDS SHED TO THE URTROOM, NEARLY UPSETTG LENNY’S WHEELCHAIR, AND SURROUND THE MELEE. THE BAILIFF AND SWEENEY CRASHED TO A FILE BET. “DON’T HURT HIM!” SCREAMED ALSON. SWEENEY WAS WRTLED TO THE FLOOR AND THEN HANDCUFFED TO THE ARMS OF HIS CHAIR, WHERE ALSON WHISPERED ANTILLY TO HIM TO GET HOLD OF HIMSELF.MOST POPULARTMP PLANS TO DEFEND HIMSELF AGAST ELECTN CHARG BY THROWG HIS LAWYERS UNR THE B: REPORTBY BS LEVEVERYTHG TO KNOW ABOUT ARIANA GRAN AND HER NEW BOYIEND, SPONGEBOB (ETHAN SLATER)BY KENZIE BRYANTVANY FAIR’S “IT’S RAG TEENS” COVER AT 20: WHERE ARE THEY NOW?BY SAVANNAH WALSHSOBBG, SWEENEY APOLOGIZED TO THE URT AND SAID HE HAD NOT BEEN TRYG TO PE. JUDGE KATZ ACCEPTED HIS APOLOGY. “WE KNOW WHAT A STRA YOU ARE UNR, MR. SWEENEY,” HE SAID. I WAS APPALLED AT THE LACK OF SEVERY OF THE JUDGE’S ADMONISHMENT. WHAT WE HAD WNSED HAD NOTHG TO DO WH PE. IT WAS AN EXPLOSN OF ANGER. IT SHOWED HOW LTLE TOOK TO CE JOHN SWEENEY TO ACTIVE RAGE. LIKE MOST OF THE TELLG MOMENTS OF THE TRIAL, HOWEVER, WAS NOT WNSED BY THE JURY.MIKE TIPPG, A REPORTER OM THE SANTA MONI EVENG OUTLOOK, SAW THE EPISO AND REPORTED HIS PAPER. AT THE BEHT OF ALSON, THE URT ADMONISHED TIPPG FOR EXAGGERATG THE CINT. THE SAME DAY, A URT GAG ORR WAS ISSUED TO PREVENT ANYONE VOLVED THE SE OM SPEAKG TO THE PRS.FROM THEN ON, I FELT, AND NTUE TO FEEL, THAT JOHN SWEENEY WAS SEDATED THE URTROOM SO THAT SUCH AN CINT WOULD NEVER BE REPEATED ONT OF THE JURY. HE WAS ASKED UNR OATH, NOT THE PRENCE OF THE JURY, IF HE WAS SEDATED, AND HE SAID HE WAS NOT, EXCEPT FOR SOME D MEDICE FOR AN UPSET STOMACH. THE DISTRICT ATTORNEY ASKED THE URT FOR EHER A BLOOD TT OR A URE TT TO SUBSTANTIATE SWEENEY’S REPLY, BUT JUDGE KATZ NIED THE REQUT.WHEN LENNY TOOK THE STAND THE FIRST TIME, THE JURY WAS AGA NOT PRENT. JUDGE KATZ HAD TO CI ON THE ADMISSIBILY OF HER TTIMONY, BUT HE WROTE NOT THROUGH MOST OF AND SRCELY LOOKED HER DIRECTN. LENNY SCRIBED AN CINT WHEN DOMIQUE ME TO HER HOE AT NIGHT AFTER BEG BEATEN BY SWEENEY—THE FIRST OF THE THREE TIM HE BEAT HER. DOMIQUE’S TERROR WAS SO ABJECT, LENNY SAID, THAT SHE ASSUMED A FETAL POSN THE HALLWAY. SWEENEY HAD KNOCKED HER HEAD ON THE FLOOR AND PULLED OUT CLUMPS OF HER HAIR. ALSON ASKED LENNY IF SHE KNEW WHAT THE ARGUMENT THAT PRECIPATED THE BEATG HAD BEEN ABOUT. LENNY SAID SHE DID NOT. HE ASKED HER IF SHE KNEW THAT DOMIQUE HAD HAD AN ABORTN. SHE DIDN’T. I DIDN’T. THE BOYS DIDN’T. HER CLOST IENDS DIDN’T. IT REMAED THROUGHOUT THE TRIAL AN UNSUBSTANTIATED CHARGE THAT, TO THE FENSE, SEEMED TO JTIFY THE BEATG. THE LOOK ON LENNY’S FACE WAS HEARTBREAKG, AS IF SHE HAD BEEN SLAPPED PUBLIC. JUDGE KATZ LLED HER TTIMONY HEARSAY AND SAID HE WOULD MAKE HIS CISN AS TO S ADMISSIBILY WHEN THE TRIAL RUMED ON AUGT 15 AFTER A TWO-WEEK HIAT.DURG THIS PERD OUR GREAT IEND KATIE MANULIS DIED OF NCER. OUR LIV HAVE BEEN TRITELY VOLVED WH THE MANULI, AS WE LL THEM, FOR TWENTY-FIVE YEARS. BACK AT MART’S HOE AFTER THE FUNERAL, I TOLD SAMMY GOLDWYN THAT I HAD GRAVE DOUBTS ABOUT THE JUDGE. I CED HIS SOLICONS TOWARD SWEENEY AFTER HIS OUTBURST THE URTROOM, AS WELL AS HIS DISURTY WH LENNY. SAMMY SAID HE WAS DG THAT EVENG WH JOHN VAN KAMP, THE ATTORNEY GENERAL OF THE STATE OF CALIFORNIA, AND HE WOULD GET A NDOWN ON THE JUDGE FOR ME.HE REPORTED BACK THAT JUDGE KATZ WENT TO LAW SCHOOL AT LOYOLA UNIVERSY AND THEN SERVED AS A PUTY DISTRICT ATTORNEY FOR FOURTEEN YEARS. HE HAD BEEN UNPOPULAR THE DISTRICT ATTORNEY’S OFFICE, WHERE HE WAS NSIRED A THEATRIL CHARACTER. IN 1970 HE PROSECUTED MEMBERS OF THE CHARL MANSON “FAY” FOR THE MURRS OF SHORTY SHEA AND GARY HMAN. IN 1978 HE WAS APPOTED TO THE MUNICIPAL COURT BY GOVERNOR JERRY BROWN, AND 1981 HE WAS APPOTED TO THE SUPERR COURT. HE WAS NSIRED HIGHLY AMB AND WAS SAID TO LIKE S WH HIGH MEDIA VISIBILY, LIKE THIS ONE.JUDGE KATZ LED THAT THE PROSECUTN ULD NOT E THE TTIMONY OF LILLIAN PIERCE TO SHOW THE JURY THAT JOHN SWEENEY HAD MTED PREV ACTS OF VLENCE AGAST WOMEN. HE SAID HE WOULD ALLOW MISS PIERCE TO TAKE THE STAND ONLY REBUTTAL IF ALSON PUT EXPERT WNS, MEANG PSYCHIATRISTS, ON THE STAND TO TTIFY THAT SWEENEY WAS TOO MENTALLY IMPAIRED BY EMOTN TO HAVE FORMED THE TENT TO KILL. ONCE JUDGE KATZ LED THAT, ALSON THREW OUT HIS PSYCHIATRIC FENSE. LATER THE TRIAL, WHEN THE POSSIBILY OF PUTTG LILLIAN PIERCE ON THE STAND WAS RAISED AGA, BY STEVEN BARSHOP, KATZ LED THAT THE “PREJUDICIAL EFFECT OUTWEIGHED THE PROBATIVE VALUE.” THE JURY WOULD NEVER KNOW OF LILLIAN PIERCE’S EXISTENCE UNTIL AFTER THEY HAD ARRIVED AT A VERDICT.JUDGE KATZ ALSO LED THAT LENNY’S TTIMONY ABOUT DOMIQUE’S G TO HER HYSTERICS AFTER SWEENEY FIRST BEAT HER ON AUGT 27 ULD NOT BE ED BY THE PROSECUTN DURG THE MA SE. THE JUDGE ONCE AGA AGREED WH ALSON THAT THE PREJUDICIAL EFFECT OF THE TTIMONY OUTWEIGHED S PROBATIVE VALUE, AND HE TOLD BARSHOP NOT TO MENTN THE CINT HIS PRIMARY SE. HE SAID HE WOULD CI LATER THE TRIAL WHETHER HER STORY ULD BE ED TO REBUT A MENTAL-IMPAIRMENT FENSE FOR SWEENEY.JUDGE KATZ AGREED WH ALSON THAT ALL STATEMENTS MA BY DOMIQUE TO HER AGENT, HER FELLOW ACTORS, AND HER IENDS REGARDG FEAR OF JOHN SWEENEY DURG THE LAST FIVE WEEKS OF HER LIFE MT BE NSIRED HEARSAY AND LED ADMISSIBLE AS EVINCE.IT WAS NOT AN SPIC OPENG TO THE TRIAL. THE LOSS OF THE LILLIAN PIERCE TTIMONY WAS A SEVERE BLOW TO STEVEN BARSHOP. OUR HOP WERE BUOYED BY BARSHOP’S OPENG ARGUMENT THE SE. HE BEGAN WH A SCRIPTN OF THE PARTICIPANTS. SWEENEY: TWENTY-SEVEN, SIX FOOT ONE, 170 POUNDS. DOMIQUE: TWENTY-TWO, FIVE FOOT ONE, 112 POUNDS. HE GAVE A NDOWN OF THE CHARG THE TWO CINTS, THE ASSLT ON DOMIQUE ON SEPTEMBER 26 AND THE MURR ON THE NIGHT OF OCTOBER 30. HE SCRIBED HOW SWEENEY HAD WALKED OUT OF MA MAISON RTRANT AT 8:30 THAT EVENG AND PROCEED ON FOOT TO THE HOE, WHERE HE ARGUED WH DOMIQUE AND STRANGLED HER. HE SAID THAT DOMIQUE WAS BRA-AD THERE AT THE SCENE OF THE STRANGULATN, SPE THE FACT THAT SHE WAS KEPT ON THE LIFE-SUPPORT SYSTEM AT CEDARS-SAI UNTIL NOVEMBER 4. HE SAID THAT THE RONER WOULD TTIFY THAT ATH BY STRANGULATN TOOK BETWEEN FOUR AND SIX MUT. THEN HE HELD UP A WATCH WH A SEND HAND AND SAID TO THE JURY, “LADI AND GENTLEMEN, I AM GOG TO SHOW YOU HOW LONG TOOK FOR DOMIQUE DUNNE TO DIE.” FOR FOUR MUT THE URTROOM SAT HHED SILENCE. IT WAS HORRIFYG. I HAD NEVER ALLOWED MYSELF TO THK HOW LONG SHE HAD STGGLED HIS HANDS, THRASHG FOR LIFE. A GUNSHOT OR A KNIFE STAB IS OVER AN STANT; STRANGULATN IS AN ETERNY. THE ONLY SOUND DURG THE FOUR MUT ME OM MICHAEL ALSON AND JOHN SWEENEY, WHO WHISPERED TOGETHER THE WHOLE TIME.OUR DAILY PRENCE THE URTROOM ANNOYED ALSON THROUGHOUT THE TRIAL. DEFENSE LAWYERS GENERAL DON’T LIKE JURORS TO SEE THE VICTIM’S FAY. FRIENDS OF OURS HAD ADVISED TO LEAVE TOWN UNTIL THE TRIAL WAS OVER. THE ANIZATN KNOWN AS PARENTS OF MURRED CHILDREN ADVISED TO ATTEND EVERY SSN. “IT’S THE LAST BS OF YOUR DGHTER’S LIFE,” A FATHER OF A YOUNG GIRL STABBED TO ATH BY A FORMER BOYIEND SAID TO ME ON THE TELEPHONE ONE NIGHT. WE SAT THE ONT ROW BEHD THE BAILIFF’S SK FULL VIEW OF THE JURY: LENNY THE AISLE HER WHEELCHAIR, ALEX, GRIFF AND HIS GIRLIEND, AND I. WE WERE WH SIX FEET OF JOHN SWEENEY. AS THE WEEKS CREPT BY, THE BOYS BEME MORE AND MORE SILENT. IT SEEMED TO ME AS IF THEIR YOUTH WERE BEG STRIPPED AWAY OM THEM.IN THE ROW BEHD SAT REPRENTATIV OM PARENTS OF MURRED CHILDREN; SOME HAD BEEN THROUGH THEIR TRIALS, OTHERS WERE AWAG THEIRS. MANY OF DOMIQUE’S IENDS ME ON A DAILY BASIS; SO DID IENDS OF OURS AND IENDS OF THE BOYS’. THERE WERE ALSO REPRENTATIV OM WOMEN AGAST VLENCE AGAST WOMEN AND OM VICTIMS FOR VICTIMS, THE GROUP STARTED BY THERA SALDANA, AN ACTRS WHO WAS BTALLY STABBED A FEW YEARS AGO AND SURVIVED.“IF ANY MEMBER OF THE DUNNE FAY CRI, CRI OUT, ROLLS HIS EY, EXCLAIMS ANY WAY, HE WILL BE ASKED TO LEAVE THE URTROOM,” WE WERE TOLD BY THE JUDGE AT THE BEHT OF ALSON.“YOUR HONOR, ALEX DUNNE HAD TEARS HIS EY,” ALSON LLED OUT ONE DAY. WHEN SWEENEY TOOK THE STAND, ALEX AND GRIFF CHANGED THEIR SEATS ORR TO BE HIS LE OF VISN. ALSON TRIED TO GET THEM PUT OUT OF THE URTROOM FOR THIS. WE WERE TIMIDATED BUT NEVER SEARCHED. HOW EASY WOULD HAVE BEEN TO ENTER WH A WEAPON AND ERADITE THE KILLER IF WE HAD BEEN OF THAT MD. AS THE LAST WEEK APPROACHED, ALEX SAID ONE MORNG, “I N’T GO BACK ANYMORE. I N’T BE THERE WHERE SWEENEY IS.”DOMIQUE’S IENDS BRYAN COOK AND DENISE DENNEHY FLEW OM LAKE FORT, ILLOIS, TO TTIFY ABOUT THE TIME FIVE WEEKS BEFORE THE MURR WHEN SWEENEY ATTEMPTED TO CHOKE DOMIQUE AFTER THEIR NIGHT ON THE TOWN. SHE HAD PED OM HER HOE THAT NIGHT BY CLIMBG OUT A BATHROOM WDOW AND DRIVG HER VOLKSWAGEN TO THE HOME OF AN ARTIST IEND LLED NORMAN CARBY. (LENNY WAS NEW YORK AT THE TIME.) CARBY, APPALLED BY THE MARKS OF ATTEMPTED STRANGULATN ON HER NECK, HAD THE PRENCE OF MD TO TAKE PHOTOGRAPHS. THE PICTUR WERE THE PROSECUTN’S PRIME EXHIB OF THE SERNS OF THE ASSLT. ALSON BELTLED THE PICTUR. THERE WAS, HE SAID, A THIRD PICTURE THE SAME SERI SHOWG DOMIQUE LGHG. CARBY EXPLAED THAT DOMIQUE HAD A READG THAT MORNG FOR THE ROLE OF A BATTERED CHILD ON HILL STREET BLU. CARBY SAID HE TOLD HER THAT AT LEAST SHE WOULDN’T HAVE TO WEAR ANY MAKP FOR , AND THAT HAD MA HER LGH.ONE OF THE SNCH APPEARED THE URTROOM. HE WAS THE ONE WHO CLAIMED SWEENEY HAD SAID HE THOUGHT HE HAD THE POLICE BELIEVG HE HAD NOT TEND TO KILL DOMIQUE. HE CLAIMED FURTHER THAT SWEENEY HAD ASKED HIM, “HAVE YOU EVER BEEN WH A GIRL WHO THOUGHT SHE WAS BETTER THAN YOU?” SNCH ARE KNOWN TO BE UNRELIABLE WNS, WHOM JURORS UALLY DISLIKE AND DISTST. THIS MAN’S DOSSIER, FORWARD BY HIS PRISON, PICTED A DISTURBED TROUBLEMAKER. HIS ARMS WERE TATTOOED OM HIS SHOULRS TO HIS WRISTS. STEVEN BARSHOP CID TO DISPENSE WH HIS REVELATNS. HE WAS NOT PUT ON THE STAND.ON ONE OF THE LOR PICTUR OF THE TOPSY THERE WAS A BISE ON DOMIQUE’S SHOULR, WHICH GAVE RISE TO DISAGREEMENT. NO ONE WAS QUE SURE IF HAD BEEN CURRED WHEN SHE FELL TO THE GROUND AFTER BEG STRANGLED, OR IF HAD BEEN ED BY THE LIFE-SUPPORT SYSTEM, OR IF WAS A RULT OF THE TOPSY. ALSON WAS TERMED THAT THE JURY NOT SEE THE PHOTOGRAPH WH THE BISE, AND THE ARGUMENTS WENT ON ENDLSLY WHILE THE JURY WAED AN ADJOG ROOM. JUDGE KATZ SOLVED THE MATTER: WH A PAIR OF SCISSORS PROVID BY VELMA SMH, THE URT CLERK, HE SIMPLY CUT OFF THE PICTURE BELOW THE NECK SO THAT ONLY THE ACTUAL STRANGULATN MARKS WERE VISIBLE TO THE JURY.DEPUTY FRANK DEMIL, ONE OF THE FIRST TO ARRIVE AT THE SCENE OF THE CRIME, TTIFIED ON THE STAND THAT SWEENEY HAD SAID TO HIM, “MAN, I BLEW . I KILLED HER. I DIDN’T THK I CHOKED HER THAT HARD, BUT I DON’T KNOW, I JT KEPT ON CHOKG HER. I JT LOST MY TEMPER AND BLEW AGA.”I WONRED THEN AND WONR STILL WHAT THE WORD AGA MEANT. DID REFER TO ONE OF THE OTHER TIM HE ATTACKED DOMIQUE? OR LILLIAN PIERCE? OR IS THERE SOMETHG ELSE THIS MYSTER PAST THAT HAS NOT YET E TO LIGHT? SWEENEY HAD NO R AND NO DRIVER’S LICENSE, AN ODDY FOR A YOUNG MAN TOTALLY PENNT ON WHEELS. AND ALTHOUGH HE HAD WORKED AS A HEAD CHEF ONE OF THE MOST PRTIG RTRANTS THE CY, HE WAS NEARLY TOTALLY WHOUT FUNDS. FURTHERMORE, AN RMANT AT MA MAISON TOLD DETECTIVE JOHNSTON OF ANOTHER FORMER GIRLIEND, THEN SOMEWHERE FRANCE, AGAST WHOM SWEENEY HAD MTED AT LEAST ONE ACT OF VLENCE.AFTER STEVEN BARSHOP RTED HIS SE, JUDGE KATZ LIVERED ANOTHER VASTATG BLOW TO THE PROSECUTN. HE AGREED WH A REQUT OM ALSON THAT THE JURY BE ALLOWED TO NSIR ONLY CHARG OF MANSLGHTER AND SEND-GREE MURR, TH ACQUTG SWEENEY OF FIRST GREE MURR. IN ASKG KATZ TO BAR A FIRST GREE MURR VERDICT, ALSON ARGUED, “THERE IS NO PREMEDATN OR LIBERATN THIS SE,” AND KATZ AGREED. BARSHOP ARGUED THAT THE JURY SHOULD CI WHETHER THERE WAS SUFFICIENT PREMEDATN OR LIBERATN. HE SAID SWEENEY HAD ENOUGH TIME TO NSIR HIS ACTNS DURG THE PERD—UP TO SIX MUT, ACRDG TO THE RONER’S TTIMONY—THAT TOOK HIM TO CHOKE DOMIQUE. KATZ EMPHASIZED THAT SWEENEY HAD ARRIVED AT DOMIQUE’S HOE WHOUT A MURR WEAPON, ALTHOUGH HE KNEW THAT SWEENEY’S HANDS HAD NEARLY KILLED LILLIAN PIERCE AND THAT HIS HANDS HAD NEARLY STRANGLED DOMIQUE FIVE WEEKS BEFORE HE KILLED HER. HE ALSO CED THE FACT THAT SWEENEY HAD MA NO ATTEMPT TO PE.RARELY DO TWELVE PEOPLE ON A JURY AGREE; MOST VERDICTS ARE PROMIS. IF THIS JURY HAD HAD THE OPTN OF FIRST-GREE MURR AND WERE A DISPUTE, THEY ULD HAVE PROMISED AT SEND-GREE. WH FIRST-GREE LED OUT, IF THERE WAS A DISPUTE, THEIR ONLY PROMISE WAS MANSLGHTER.DETECTIVE HAROLD JOHNSTON WAS THE URTROOM THAT DAY. HE BELIEVED THIS WAS A SE OF FIRST-GREE MURR, JT AS WE DID. MEANS OF PE AND MEANS OF METHOD HAVE NOTHG TO DO WH PREMEDATN, HE TOLD . AN RMANT AT MA MAISON HAD TOLD THAT JT BEFORE SWEENEY LEFT THE RTRANT TO GO TO DOMIQUE’S HOE ON THE NIGHT HE MURRED HER, HE HAD ORRED TWO MARTIS OM THE BAR AND DNK THEM. WE FELT THAT SWEENEY MT HAVE CID THAT IF HE ULDN’T HAVE DOMIQUE, HE HASN’T GOG TO LET ANYONE ELSE HAVE HER EHER.HAROLD JOHNSTON HAD BEE A IEND OVER THE YEAR, SCE THE NIGHT THAT HE RANG THE DOORBELL OF LENNY’S HOE ON CRCENT DRIVE AT TWO THE MORNG TO TELL HER THAT DOMIQUE WAS NEAR ATH AT CEDARS-SAI. HE HAD ALSO QUTNED SWEENEY ON THE NIGHT OF THE MURR. HE TOLD ME THE RRIDOR OUTSI THE URTROOM THAT DAY THAT THE JUDGE’S LG HAD MA HIM LOSE FAH THE SYSTEM AFTER TWENTY-SIX YEARS ON THE FORCE.ONE DAY ALSON’S WIFE AND LTLE BOYS ME TO THE TRIAL. AS IF TO OFFSET HIS UNPLEASANT IMAGE ONT OF THE JURY, ALSON ELABORATELY PLAYED FATHER: “NOW DON’T YOU TALK,” HE ADMONISHED THEM, WAVG HIS FGER. SEVERAL TIM JUDGE KATZ’S MOTHER AND FATHER ALSO ME TO OBSERVE THE PROCEEDGS. THEY WERE SEATED SPECIAL CHAIRS SET UP SI THE GATE BY THE BAILIFF’S SK, AND WHISPERED CSANTLY. INVARIABLY KATZ SHOWED OFF FOR THEIR BENEF. ON ONE OCSN, AFTER BOTH BARSHOP AND ALSON HAD FISHED WH THE WNS DAVID PACKER, THE ACTOR WHO WAS VISG DOMIQUE AT THE TIME OF THE MURR AND WHO LLED THE POLICE, JUDGE KATZ STARTED AN PENNT LE OF QUTNG, ABOUT EYEGLASS, THAT HAD NOT BEEN TRODUCED BY EHER THE PROSECUTN OR THE FENSE: DID DAVID PACKER WEAR THEM? DID HE HAVE THEM ON THE NIGHT HE SAW SWEENEY STANDG OVER DOMIQUE’S BODY? THE QUTNS ADVANCED NOTHG AND MUDDIED WHAT HAD GONE BEFORE.A PHOTOGRAPHER OM PEOPLE MAGAZE APPEARED URT ONE DAY, WEIGHED DOWN WH EQUIPMENT. I HAPPENED TO KNOW HIM. HE SAID HE HAD BEEN SENT TO TAKE PICTUR OF OUR FAY FOR AN ARTICLE HIS MAGAZE WAS DOG ON THE TRIAL. NEHER GRIFF NOR ALEX WISHED TO BE PHOTOGRAPHED, BUT THE PHOTOGRAPHER STAYED THE URTROOM AND TOOK PICTUR OF THE SSN WH SWEENEY AND THE LAWYERS. AT THE LUNCH BREAK THE JUDGE SIGNALED TO THE PHOTOGRAPHER TO SEE HIM HIS CHAMBERS. LATER, OUT THE PARKG LOT, I RAN TO THE MAN. HE TOLD ME HE HAD THOUGHT THE JUDGE WAS GOG TO ASK HIM NOT TO SHOOT DURG THE SSN. INSTEAD, THE JUDGE HAD SAID HE WANTED HIS EY TO SHOW UP THE PICTUR AND HAD TRIED ON SEVERAL DIFFERENT PAIRS OF GLASS FOR THE PHOTOGRAPHER’S APPROVAL.ALSON HAD NEVER TEND TO HAVE SWEENEY TAKE THE STAND. HOWEVER, WHEN HE HAD TO THROW OUT HIS PSYCHIATRIC FENSE TO KEEP THE JURORS OM KNOWG ABOUT SWEENEY’S PREV ACTS OF VLENCE AGAST LILLIAN PIERCE, HE HAD NO CHOICE BUT TO PUT THE ACCED ON. SWEENEY WAS ABJECTLY URTEO, ADDRSG THE LAWYERS AND JUDGE AS SIR. HE SPOKE VERY QUIETLY, AND OFTEN HAD TO BE TOLD TO RAISE HIS VOICE SO THAT THE JURORS ULD HEAR. ALTHOUGH HE WEPT, HE NEVER ONCE BEME FLTERED, AND THERE WAS NO SIGN OF THE RAGE HE EXHIBED ON THE DAY LILLIAN PIERCE TOOK THE STAND. HE PATED HIS RELATNSHIP WH DOMIQUE AS NEARLY IDYLLIC. HE GAVE THE NAM OF ALL HER ANIMALS—THE BUNNY, THE KTEN, THE PUPPY. HE REFUTED THE TTIMONY OF BRYAN COOK AND DENISE DENNEHY AND NIED THAT HE HAD ATTEMPTED TO CHOKE DOMIQUE AFTER THEIR NIGHT ON THE TOWN FIVE WEEKS BEFORE THE MURR. HE SAID HE’D ONLY TRIED TO RTRA HER OM LEAVG THE HOE. HE ADMTED THEY HAD SEPARATED AFTER THAT, AND THAT SHE HAD HAD THE LOCKS CHANGED SO THAT HE ULD NOT GET BACK THE HOE, BUT HE SISTED THAT SHE HAD PROMISED TO RENCILE WH HIM AND THAT HER REFAL TO DO SO WAS WHAT BROUGHT ON THE FAL ATTACK. HE ULD NOT, HE CLAIMED, REMEMBER THE EVENTS OF THE MURR, WHICH PROMPTED BARSHOP TO ACCE HIM OF HAVG “SELECTIVE MEMORY.” AFTER THE ATTACK, SWEENEY SAID, HE HAD ENTERED THE HOE AND ATTEMPTED TO M SUICI BY SWALLOWG TWO BOTTL OF PILLS; HOWEVER, NO BOTTL WERE EVER FOUND, AND IF HE HAD SWALLOWED PILLS, THEY DID NOT HAVE ANY APPARENT EFFECT ON HIS SYSTEM.FROM THE BEGNG WE HAD BEEN WARNED THAT THE FENSE WOULD SLANR DOMIQUE. IT IS PART OF THE FENSE PREMISE THAT THE VICTIM IS RPONSIBLE FOR THE CRIME. AS DR. WILLARD GAYL SAYS HIS BOOK THE KILLG OF BONNIE GARLAND, BONNIE GARLAND’S KILLER, RICHARD HERR, MURRED BONNIE ALL OVER AGA THE URTROOM. IT IS ALWAYS THE MURR VICTIM WHO IS PLACED ON TRIAL. JOHN SWEENEY, WHO CLAIMED TO LOVE DOMIQUE, AND WHOSE FENSE WAS THAT THIS WAS A CRIME OF PASSN, SLANRED HER URT AS VICLY AND CELLY AS HE HAD STRANGLED HER. IT WAS AGONIZG FOR TO LISTEN TO HIM, LED ON BY ALSON, BMIRCH DOMIQUE’S NAME. HIS VLENT PAST REMAED SACROSANCT AND VLATE, BUT HER NAME WAS ALLOWED TO BE TRAMPLED UPON AND KICKED, WH UNSUBSTANTIATED CHARG, BY THE MAN WHO KILLED HER.“LOOK AT HER IENDS!” I WANTED TO SCREAM AT THE JUDGE AND JURY. “YOU HAVE SEEN THEM BOTH ON THE STAND AND THE URTROOM: BRYAN COOK, DENISE DENNEHY, MELDA BTAN, K MCDONOUGH, ERI ELLT, AND THE OTHERS WHO HAVE BEEN HERE EVERY DAY—BRIGHT, CLEAN-CUT, SUCCSFUL YOUNG PEOPLE. THAT IS WHAT DOMIQUE DUNNE WAS LIKE. SHE WASN’T AT ALL THE PERSON WHOM JOHN SWEENEY IS SCRIBG.” BUT I SAT SILENT.WHEN DOMIQUE’S IENDS CLOSED UP HER HOE AFTER THE FUNERAL, HER BT IEND, MELDA BTAN, ME ACROSS A LETTER DOMIQUE HAD WRTEN TO SWEENEY, WHICH HE MAY OR MAY NOT HAVE RECEIVED. THE LETTER HAD BEEN FILED AWAY AND FOTTEN. IN THE FAL DAYS OF THE TRIAL, MELDA REMEMBERED ONE DAY WHEN A GROUP OF WERE HAVG LUNCH TOGETHER. STEVEN BARSHOP TRODUCED HIS REBUTTAL, AND AS THE URT REPORTER, SALLY YERGER, READ TO THE JURY, WAS AS IF DOMIQUE WAS SPEAKG OM BEYOND THE GRAVE.“SELFISHNS WORKS BOTH WAYS,” SHE WROTE. “YOU ARE JT AS SELFISH AS I AM. WE HAVE TO BE TWO DIVIDUALS TO WORK TOGETHER AS A UPLE. I AM NOT PERMTED TO DO ENOUGH THGS ON MY OWN. WHY MT YOU BE A PART OF EVERYTHG I DO? WHY DO YOU WANT TO E TO MY RIDG LSONS AND MY ACTG CLASS? WHY ARE YOU JEALO OF EVERY SCENE PARTNER I HAVE?“WHY MT I REUNT WORD FOR WORD EVERYTHG I SPOKE TO DR. BLACK ABOUT? WHY MT I TALK ABOUT EVERY DN WHEN YOU KNOW IS BAD LUCK FOR ME? WHY DO WE HAVE DISCSNS AT 3 A.M. ALL THE TIME, STEAD OF DURG THE DAY?“WHY MT YOU KNOW THE NAME OF EVERY PERSON I E TO NTACT WH? YOU GO CRAZY OVER MY REHEARSALS. YOU SIST ON GOG TO WORK WH ME WHEN I HAVE TOLD YOU MAK ME NERVO. YOUR PARANOIA IS OVERBOARD.… YOU DO NOT LOVE ME. YOU ARE OBSSED WH ME. THE PERSON YOU THK YOU LOVE IS NOT ME AT ALL. IT IS SOMEONE YOU HAVE MA UP YOUR HEAD. I’M THE PERSON WHO MAK YOU ANGRY, WHO YOU FIGHT WH SOMETIM. I THK WE ONLY FIGHT WHEN IMAG OF ME FA AWAY AND YOU ARE FACED WH THE REAL ME. THAT’S WHY ARGUMENTS EPT OUT OF NOWHERE.“THE WHOLE THG HAS MA ME REALIZE HOW SRED I AM OF YOU, AND I DON’T MEAN JT PHYSILLY. I’M AAID OF THE NEXT TIME YOU ARE GOG TO HAVE ANOTHER MOOD SWG.… WHEN WE ARE GOOD, WE ARE GREAT. BUT WHEN WE ARE BAD, WE ARE HORRENDO. THE BAD OUTWEIGHS THE GOOD.”THROUGHOUT STEVEN BARSHOP’S CLOSG ARGUMENT TO THE JURY, WHEN HE ASKED THEM TO FD SWEENEY GUILTY OF MURR THE SEND GREE, THE MAXIMUM VERDICT AVAILABLE TO THEM, JUDGE KATZ SAT WH A BOTTLE OF RRECTN FLUID, BSHG OUT L ON SOMETHG HE WAS PREPARG. LATER WE LEARNED WAS HIS STCTNS TO THE JURY. I THOUGHT, IF HE ISN’T LISTENG, OR IS ONLY HALF LISTENG, WHAT KD OF SUBLIMAL SIGNAL IS THAT SENDG TO THE JURY? DURG ALSON’S FAL ARGUMENT, ON THE OTHER HAND, HE GAVE HIS FULL ATTENTN.‘THIS WILL BE THE TOUGHT DAY OF THE TRIAL,” SAID STEVEN BARSHOP ON THE MORNG OF ALSON’S FAL ARGUMENT. “TODAY YOU WILL HEAR ALSON JTIFY MURR.” WE HAD GROWN VERY CLOSE TO STEVEN BARSHOP DURG THE WEEKS OF THE TRIAL AND ADMIRED HIS TEGRY AND HONTY. “YOU DON’T HAVE TO S THROUGH , YOU KNOW,” HE SAID. BUT WE DID, AND HE KNEW WE WOULD.I LOST UNT OF HOW MANY TIM ALSON SCRIBED SWEENEY TO THE JURY AS AN “ORDARILY REASONABLE PERSON,” AS IF THIS ACT OF MURR WERE AN ISOLATED STANCE AN ORDARILY SERENE LIFE. EVERY TIME HE SAID HE SEPARATED THE THREE WORDS—ORDARILY REASONABLE PERSON—AND UNRSRED THEM WH A POTG GTURE OF HIS HAND. WE WHO HAD SEEN EVERY MOMENT OF THE TRIAL KNEW OF THIRTEEN SEPARATE STANC OF VLENCE, TEN AGAST LILLIAN PIERCE AND THREE AGAST DOMIQUE, BUT THE JURORS AT THIS POT WERE STILL NOT EVEN AWARE OF THE EXISTENCE OF LILLIAN PIERCE. THROUGH AN RMANT AT MA MAISON, OUR FAY ALSO KNEW OF OTHER ACTS OF VLENCE AGAST WOMEN THAT HAD NOT BEEN TRODUCED TO THE SE, BUT WE SAT IMPASSIVE SILENCE AS ALSON SCRIBED THE STRANGLER AGA AND AGA AS AN ORDARILY REASONABLE PERSON.HE RETURNED TO HIS OLD THEME: “THIS WAS NOT A CRIME,” HE TOLD THE JURY. “THIS WAS A TRAGEDY.” IT DIDN’T MATTER THAT HE KNEW WASN’T TE. THEY DIDN’T KNOW WASN’T TE, AND HE WAS ONLY NCERNED WH NVCG THEM.HE TALKED ABOUT “THAT OLD-FASHNED THG: ROMANTIC LOVE.” HE MA UP DIALOGUE AND PUT THE MOUTH OF DOMIQUE DUNNE. “I, DOMIQUE, REJECT YOU SWEENEY,” HE CRIED OUT. “I LIED TO YOU SWEENEY!”WE WERE SICKENED AT HIS SHAMELSNS. LEAVG THE URTROOM DURG A BREAK, I FOUND MYSELF NEXT TO HIM THE AISLE. “YOU PIECE OF SH,” I SAID TO HIM QUIETLY SO THAT ONLY HE ULD HEAR.HIS EY FLASHED ANGER. “YOUR HONOR!” HE LLED OUT. “MAY I APPROACH THE BENCH?”I NTUED OUT THE RRIDOR, WHERE I TOLD LENNY WHAT I HAD DONE. “THAT WAS VERY STUPID,” SHE SAID. “NOW YOU’LL GET KICKED OUT OF THE URTROOM.”“NO ONE HEARD ME SAY EXCEPT ALSON,” I SAID. “WHEN THE JUDGE LLS ME UP, I’LL LIE AND SAY I DIDN’T SAY . EVERYBODY ELSE IS LYG. WHY SHOULDN’T I? IT’S HIS WORD AGAST ME.”STEVE BARSHOP APPEARED.“IS HE GOG TO KICK ME OUT?” I ASKED.BARSHOP SED. “HE N’T KICK THE FATHER OF THE VICTIM OUT OF URT ON THE LAST DAY OF THE TRIAL WH ALL THE PRS PRENT,” HE SAID. THEN HE ADD, “BUT DON’T DO AGA.”JUDGE KATZ DRANK SOFT DRKS OM STYROFOAM CUPS AS HE READ STCTNS TO THE JURY EXPLAG SEND-GREE MURR, VOLUNTARY MANSLGHTER, AND VOLUNTARY MANSLGHTER. LATER, AFTER THE SENTENCG, THE JURY FOREMAN, PL SPIEGEL, WOULD SAY ON TELEVISN THAT THE JUDGE’S STCTNS WERE PREHENSIBLE. DURG THE EIGHT DAYS THAT THE JURY WAS OUT, AD-LOCKED, THEY ASKED THE JUDGE FOUR TIM FOR CLARIFITN OF THE STCTNS, AND FOUR TIM THE JUDGE TOLD THEM THAT THE ANSWERS TO THEIR QUTNS WERE THE STCTNS.I WAS NOW LIVG THE BEL AIR HOME OF MART MANULIS, WHO HAD RETURNED EAST AFTER KATIE’S ATH TO PLETE POST-PRODUCTN WORK ON A NEW MISERI. THE JURY HAD BEEN OUT FOR OVER A WEEK, AND WE KNEW THEY ULD NOT UNRSTAND THE STCTNS. LENNY, GRIFF, ALEX, AND I WERE TERRIBLY EDGY, AND ONE EVENG WE ALL WENT OUR SEPARATE WAYS. I PACED RTLSLY OM ROOM TO ROOM THE MANULIS HOE. I HADN’T LOOKED AT TELEVISN THAT SUMMER EXCEPT OCSNALLY TO SEE THE NEWS, BUT I SUDNLY PICKED UP THE REMOTE-NTROL UN AND FLICKED THE SET ON. I OZE AT THE VOICE I HEARD.THERE, ON TELEVISN, WAS DOMIQUE SCREAMG, “WHAT’S HAPPENG?” I HAD NOT KNOWN THAT POLTERGEIST WAS SCHLED ON THE BLE CHANNEL, AND THE SHOCK OF SEEG HER WAS OVERWHELMG. I FELT AS IF SHE WERE SENDG ME A MSAGE. “I DON’T KNOW WHAT’S HAPPENG, MY DARLG,” I SCREAMED BACK AT THE TELEVISN SET, AND FOR THE FIRST TIME SCE THE TRIAL STARTED I SOBBED. THE NEXT DAY THE VERDICT ME .THE WAG WAS ENDLS. JOSEPH SHAPIRO, THE MA MAISON LAWYER, REGALED THE REPORTERS WH AN ACUNT OF AN AIN SAFARI THE VELDT WHERE THE NATIVE GUIS SERVG HIS PARTY WORE BLACK TIE. ONE OF THE URTHOE GROUPI SAID THAT THREE BUZZ TO THE CLERK’S SK MEANT THAT A VERDICT HAD BEEN REACHED. FIVE MUT BEFORE THE JURY ENTERED, WE WATCHED JUDGE KATZ SENTENCE A MAN WHO HAD ROBBED A FLOWER SHOP A NONVLENT CRIME TO FIVE YEARS PRISON. SWEENEY ENTERED, CLUTCHG HIS BIBLE, AND SAT A FEW FEET AWAY OM . MRS. SWEENEY SAT ACROSS THE AISLE WH JOSEPH SHAPIRO. THE ROOM WAS PACKED. A POOL TELEVISN MERA, REPORTERS, AND PHOTOGRAPHERS FILLED THE AISL.THE JURY ENTERED, AND THE FOREMAN, PL SPIEGEL, LIVERED TWO ENVELOP TO THE BAILIFF TO GIVE TO THE JUDGE. KATZ OPENED FIRST ONE ENVELOPE AND THEN THE OTHER, KG HIS MOMENT BEFORE THE TELEVISN MERA LIKE A STARLET AT THE GOLN GLOB. THEN, REVEALG NOTHG, HE HAND THE TWO ENVELOP TO HIS CLERK, VELMA SMH, WHO READ THE VERDICTS ALOUD TO THE URT. THE STRANGULATN ATH OF DOMIQUE DUNNE WAS VOLUNTARY MANSLGHTER, AND THE EARLIER CHOKG A MISMEANOR ASSLT. THERE WAS A GASP OF DISBELIEF THE URTROOM. THE MAXIMUM SENTENCE FOR THE TWO CHARG IS SIX AND A HALF YEARS, AND WH GOOD TIME AND WORK TIME, THE NVICT IS PAROLED TOMATILLY WHEN HE HAS SERVED HALF HIS SENTENCE, WHOUT HAVG TO GO THROUGH A PAROLE HEARG. SCE THE TIME SPENT JAIL BETWEEN THE ARRT AND THE SENTENCG UNTED AS TIME SERVED, SWEENEY WOULD BE EE TWO AND A HALF YEARS.“I AM ECSTATIC!” CRIED ALSON. HE EMBRACED SWEENEY, WHO LAID HIS HEAD ON ALSON’S SHOULR. SHAPIRO CLUTCHED MRS. SWEENEY’S HAND A VICTOR SALUTE, BUT MRS. SWEENEY, OF THE LOT OF THEM, HAD THE GRACE NOT TO EXULT PUBLICLY THAT HER SON HAD GOT AWAY WH MURR. THEN ALSON AND SHAPIRO CLASPED HANDS, ACTG AS IF THEY HAD EED AN NOCENT MAN OM THE GALLOWS. NOT NTENT WH HIS VICTORY, ALSON WANTED MORE. “PROBATN!” HE CRIED. AS WE SAT THERE LIKE WHIPPED DOGS AND WATCHED THE SPECTACLE OF JTICE AT WORK, I FELT A MADNS GROWG WH ME.JUDGE KATZ EXCED THE JURY, TELLG THEM THAT EVEN THOUGH OTHER PEOPLE MIGHT AGREE OR DISAGREE WH THE VERDICT, THEY MT NOT DOUBT THEIR CISN. “YOU WERE THERE. YOU SAW THE EVINCE. YOU HEARD THE WNS.” HE KNEW, OF URSE, THAT THEY WOULD BE HEARG OM THE PRS ABOUT LILLIAN PIERCE MUT.HE TOLD THEM THAT JTICE HAD BEEN SERVED AND THANKED THEM ON BEHALF OF THE ATTORNEYS AND BOTH FAI. I ULD NOT BELIEVE I HAD HEARD JUDGE KATZ THANK THE JURY ON BEHALF OF MY FAY FOR RCG THE MURR OF MY DGHTER TO MANSLGHTER. RAGE HEATED MY BLOOD. I FELT LOATHG FOR HIM. THE WEEKS OF STG IMPASSIVELY THROUGH THE TRAVTY THAT WE HAD WNSED FALLY TOOK THEIR TOLL. “NOT FOR OUR FAY, JUDGE KATZ!” I SHOUTED. FRIENDS BEHD ME PUT WARNG HANDS OF UTN ON MY SHOULRS, BUT REASON HAD SERTED ME.KATZ LOOKED AT ME, AGHAST, AS IF HE WERE ABOVE CRICISM HIS OWN URTROOM.“YOU WILL HAVE YOUR CHANCE TO SPEAK AT THE TIME OF THE SENTENCG, MR. DUNNE,” HE SAID.“IT’S TOO LATE THEN,” I ANSWERED.“I WILL HAVE TO ASK THE BAILIFF TO REMOVE YOU OM THE URTROOM,” HE SAID.“NO,” I ANSWERED. “I’M LEAVG THE URTROOM. IT’S ALL OVER HERE.”I TOOK LENNY’S WHEELCHAIR AND PHED UP THE AISLE. THE ROOM WAS SILENT. AT THE DOUBLE DOORS THAT OPENED ONTO THE RRIDOR, I TURNED BACK. MY EY LOCKED WH JUDGE KATZ’S AND I RAISED MY HAND AND POTED AT HIM. “YOU HAVE WHHELD IMPORTANT EVINCE OM THIS JURY ABOUT THIS MAN’S HISTORY OF VLENCE AGAST WOMEN.”THE JURY FOREMAN, WHEN ASKED LATER BY THE PRS WHAT FALLY BROKE THE ADLOCK, REPLIED ON TELEVISN, “A FEW JURORS WERE JT HOT AND TIRED AND WANTED TO GIVE UP.”THE TRIAL WAS OVER. SENTENCG WAS SET FOR NOVEMBER 10.THERE WAS AN UPROAR THE MEDIA OVER THE VERDICT, AND KABC RAD RAN AN ON-THE-HOUR EDORIAL BLASTG . LETTERS OF OUTRAGE FILLED THE NEWSPAPERS AS STORI OF JOHN SWEENEY’S HISTORY OF VLENCE AGAST WOMEN BEME PUBLIC KNOWLEDGE. THE HERALD EXAMER PUBLISHED A ONT-PAGE ARTICLE ABOUT THE SE: “HEAT OF PASSN: LEGIMATE DEFENSE OR A LEGAL LOOPHOLE?” JUDGE KATZ WAS SEVERELY CRICIZED. IN THE WEEKS THAT FOLLOWED, A LOL TELEVISN STATN RELEASED THE RULTS OF A POLL OF PROSECUTORS AND CRIMAL FENSE LAWYERS WHICH HE TIED FOR FOURTH-WORST JUDGE LOS ANGEL COUNTY.SEVERAL DAYS AFTER THE VERDICT I RETURNED TO THE URTHOE TO RETRIEVE OM THE DISTRICT ATTORNEY THE PHOTOGRAPHS AND LETTERS AND VIOTAP OF TELEVISN SHOWS THAT LENNY HAD LENT HIM. THE RECEPTNIST SAID I WOULD FD STEVE BARSHOP ONE OF THE URTROOMS. AS I PASSED COURTROOM D, OUT OF HAB I LOOKED THE WDOW. AT THAT STANT JUDGE KATZ HAPPENED TO LOOK UP. I MOVED ON AND ENTERED COURTROOM C, WHERE BARSHOP WAS BY WH ANOTHER LAWYER. THE DOORS OF THE URTROOM OPENED BEHD ME, AND JUDGE KATZ’S BAILIFF, PL TURNER, WHO HAD WRTLED SWEENEY TO THE GROUND SEVERAL MONTHS EARLIER, ASKED ME TO GO OUT TO THE HALL WH HIM. “WHAT ARE YOU DOG HERE?” HE ASKED ME. HE WAS STERN AND TOUGH.“WHAT DO YOU MEAN, WHAT AM I DOG HERE?” I REPLIED.“JT WHAT I SAID TO YOU.”“I DON’T HAVE THE RIGHT TO BE HERE?”“THERE’S BEEN A LOT OF BAD BLOOD THIS TRIAL,” HE SAID. I REALIZED THAT HE THOUGHT, OR THE JUDGE THOUGHT, THAT I HAD E THERE TO SEEK REVENGE. THEN STEVE BARSHOP ME OUT TO THE RRIDOR, AND THE BAILIFF TURNED AND LEFT .IN THE MONTH BETWEEN THE VERDICT AND THE SENTENCG, WE TRIED TO PICK UP THE PIEC OF OUR LIV, BUT THE AFTERMATH OF THE TRIAL NTUED. JOSEPH SHAPIRO APPEARED AT THE WRAP PARTY GIVEN BY 20TH CENTURY-FOX FOR THE FILM JOHNNY DANGEROLY, WHICH GRIFF -STARS, AND THE PRODUCERS ASKED HIM TO LEAVE THE LOT.ACRDG TO PROPOSN 8, THE VICTIM’S BILL OF RIGHTS, THE NEXT OF K OF MURR VICTIMS HAVE THE RIGHT TO TAKE THE STAND AT THE SENTENCG AND PLEAD WH THE JUDGE FOR THE MAXIMUM SENTENCE. WE WERE TOLD THAT ALSON TEND TO CROSS-EXAME IF WE DID THIS. WE WERE ALSO TOLD THAT ALSON, ORR TO GET SWEENEY RELEASED ON PROBATN THAT DAY, TEND TO PUT ON THE STAND PSYCHIATRISTS AND PSYCHOLOGISTS WHO WOULD TTIFY THAT SWEENEY WAS NONVLENT. AND WE WERE TOLD THAT ALSON TEND TO SHOW A VIOTAPE OF SWEENEY UNR HYPNOSIS SAYG HE ULD NOT REMEMBER THE MURR.ON THE DAY OF THE SENTENCG, PICKETS PROTTG THE VERDICT, THE JUDGE, AND MA MAISON MARCHED AND SANG ON THE URTHOE STEPS SANTA MONI. COURTROOM D WAS FILLED TO PACY. EXTRA BAILIFFS STOOD THE AISL AND AMONG THE STAN AT THE REAR OF THE ROOM. A YOUNG MAN LLED GAV DEBECKER SAT NEXT TO THE BAILIFF’S SK AND MA EQUENT TRIPS BACK TO THE JUDGE’S CHAMBERS. DEBECKER PROVIS BODYGUARD SERVICE FOR POLIL FIGUR AND PUBLIC PERSONALI.THROUGHOUT THE SEVERAL HOURS OF THE PROCEEDGS JOHN SWEENEY REMAED HUNCHED OVER, HIS FACE VERED BY HIS HANDS, SO UNOBTSIVE A FIGURE THAT HE SEEMED ALMOST NOT TO BE THERE.TWO OF SWEENEY’S SISTERS TOOK THE STAND AND ASKED FOR MERCY FOR THEIR BROTHER. MRS. SWEENEY SCRIBED HER LIFE AS A BATTERED AND BEATEN WIFE. GRIFF TOOK THE STAND AND PRENTED JUDGE KATZ WH A PETN THAT HAD BEEN CIRCULATED BY DOMIQUE’S IENDS; NTAED A THOAND SIGNATUR OF PEOPLE PROTTG THE VERDICT AND ASKG FOR THE MAXIMUM SENTENCE. LENNY SPOKE, AND I SPOKE.WE WERE NOT CROSS-EXAMED BY ALSON. NO PSYCHIATRISTS OR PSYCHOLOGISTS TOOK THE STAND. NO VIOTAPE OF SWEENEY SAYG HE ULD NOT REMEMBER THE MURR WAS SHOWN. BUT A WHOLE NEW DYNAMIC ENTERED COURTROOM D THAT DAY AND DOMATED EVERYTHG ELSE: THE OUTRAGE OF JUDGE BURTON S. KATZ OVER THE JTICE OF THE VERDICT ARRIVED AT BY THE JURY.HE MOCKED THE ARGUMENT THAT SWEENEY HAD ACTED THE HEAT OF PASSN. “I WILL STATE ON THE RERD THAT I BELIEVE THIS IS A MURR. I BELIEVE THAT SWEENEY IS A MURRER AND NOT A MANSLGHTERER.… THIS IS A KILLG WH MALICE. THIS MAN HELD ON TO THIS YOUNG, VULNERABLE, BETIFUL, WARM HUMAN BEG THAT HAD EVERYTHG TO LIVE FOR, WH HIS HANDS. HE HAD TO HAVE KNOWN THAT AS SHE WAS FLAILG TO GET OXYGEN, THAT THE PROCS OF ATH WAS DISPLACG THE PROCS OF LIFE.”JUDGE KATZ THEN ADDRSED SWEENEY: “YOU KNEW OF YOUR PACY FOR UNNTROLLED VLENCE. YOU KNEW YOU HURT DOMIQUE BADLY WH YOUR OWN HANDS AND THAT YOU NEARLY CHOKED HER TO UNNSCNS ON SEPTEMBER 26. YOU WERE A RAGE BEE YOUR AGILE EGO ULD NOT ACCEPT THE FAL REJECTN.”HE SAID HE WAS APPALLED BY THE JURORS’ CISN OVER SWEENEY’S FIRST ATTACK: “THE JURY ME BACK—I DON’T UNRSTAND FOR THE LIFE OF ME—WH SIMPLE ASSLT, TH TAKG AWAY THE SENTENCG PARAMETERS THAT I MIGHT HAVE ON A FELONY ASSLT.”HE LLED THE PUNISHMENT FOR THE CRIME “ANEMIC AND PATHETILLY AQUATE.” HAVG GOT THE VERDICT WE FELT HE HAD GUID THE JURORS TO GIVG, HE WAS NOW BLASTG THEM FOR GIVG .HE WENT ON AND ON. IT WAS AS IF HE HAD SUDNLY BEE A DIFFERENT HUMAN BEG. HOWEVER, ALL HIS ELOQUENCE CHANGED NOTHG. THE VERDICT REMAED THE SAME: MANSLGHTER. THE SENTENCE REMAED THE SAME: SIX AND A HALF YEARS, TOMATILLY OUT TWO AND A HALF.SURROUND BY FOUR BAILIFFS, SWEENEY ROSE, LOOKG AT NO ONE, AND WALKED OUT OF THE URTROOM FOR THE LAST TIME. HE WAS SENT TO THE MIMUM-SECURY FACILY AT CHO.GAV DEBECKER PURSUED DOWN THE HALL. HE SAID JUDGE KATZ WOULD LIKE TO SEE ME HIS CHAMBERS. LENNY CLED, BUT I WAS CUR, AS WAS GRIFF. DEBECKER LED TO KATZ’S CHAMBERS. “BURT,” HE SAID, TAPPG ON THE DOOR, “THE DUNN ARE HERE.”JUDGE KATZ WAS UTTERLY CHARMG. HE LLED BY OUR FIRST NAM. HE TALKED AT LENGTH ABOUT THE JTICE OF THE VERDICT AND HIS OWN SHOCK OVER , AS IF ALL THIS WERE SOMETHG WHICH HE HAD PLAYED NO PART. HE SAID HIS DGHTERS HAD NOT SPOKEN TO HIM SCE THE VERDICT ME .HE GAVE EACH OF HIS SUPERR COURT RD AND WROTE ON HIS UNLISTED TELEPHONE NUMBER AT HOME AND HIS PRIVATE NUMBER THE CHAMBERS SO THAT WE ULD LL HIM DIRECT. WHAT, I THOUGHT TO MYSELF, WOULD I EVER HAVE TO LL HIM ABOUT?BACK THE CROWD RRIDOR AGA, I WAS TALKG WH IENDS AS MICHAEL ALSON MA HIS EX. HE UGHT MY EYE, AND I SENSED WHAT HE WAS GOG TO DO. IN THE MANNER OF JOHN MCENROE LEAPG OVER THE A MOMENT OF LARGSE TO EXCHANGE PLEASANTRI WH THE VANQUISHED, THIS FENR OF MY DGHTER’S KILLER MA HIS WAY ACROSS THE RRIDOR TO SPEAK TO ME. I WAED UNTIL HE WAS VERY NEAR, AND AS HE WAS ABOUT TO EXTEND HIS HAND I TURNED AWAY OM HIM.WHEN MICHAEL ALSON WAS ASKED AN NBC TELEVISN TERVIEW IF HE THOUGHT SWEENEY WOULD POSE A THREAT TO SOCIETY WHEN RELEASED OM PRISON TWO AND A HALF YEARS, HE PONRED AND REPLIED, “I THK HE WILL BE SAFE IF HE GETS THE THERAPY HE NEEDS. HIS RAGE NEEDS TO BE WORKED UPON.” JUDGE KATZ, WHEN ASKED THE SAME QUTN BY THE SAME TERVIEWER, ANSWERED, “I WOULDN’T BE FORTABLE WH HIM SOCIETY.” STEVEN BARSHOP TOLD A NEWSPAPER REPORTER, “HE’LL BE OUT TIME TO OK SOMEONE A NICE DNER AND KILL SOMEONE ELSE.” PL SPIEGEL, THE JURY FOREMAN, A TELEVISN TERVIEW, LLED THE JUDGE’S CRICISM OF THE VERDICT A CHEAP SHOT. HE SAID THE JUDGE WAS NCERNED OVER THE CRICISM HE HIMSELF HAD RECEIVED SCE THE TRIAL AND WAS TRYG TO PLACE THE BLAME ELSEWHERE. SPIEGEL SAID HE FELT THAT JTICE HAD NOT BEEN SERVED. HE SAID THE JURY WOULD CERTALY HAVE FOUND SWEENEY GUILTY IF THEY HAD HEARD ALL THE EVINCE. “IF WERE UP TO ME,” HE SAID, “SWEENEY WOULD HAVE SPENT THE RT OF HIS LIFE JAIL.”NOT ONE OF REGRETS HAVG GONE THROUGH THE TRIAL, OR WISH THAT WE HAD ACCEPTED A PLEA BARGA, EVEN THOUGH SWEENEY WOULD THEN HAVE HAD TO SERVE SEVEN AND A HALF YEARS RATHER THAN TWO AND A HALF. WE CHOSE TO GO TO TRIAL, AND WE DID, AND WE SAW TO ONE ANOTHER’S SOULS THE PROCS. WE LOVED HER, AND WE KNEW THAT SHE LOVED BACK. KNOWG THAT WE DID EVERYTHG WE ULD HAS BEEN FOR THE BEGNG OF THE RELEASE OM PA. WE THOUGHT OF REVENGE, THE BOYS AND I, BUT WAS JT A THOUGHT, NO MORE THAN THAT, MOMENTARILY FORTG. WE BELIEVE GOD AND ULTIMATE JTICE, AND THE TIME ME TO LET GO OF OUR OBSSN WH THE MURR AND PROCEED WH LIFE.ALEX CID TO STAY WH HIS MOTHER CALIFORNIA AND FISH HIS LLEGE TN. GRIFF HAD TO RETURN TO NEW YORK TO START A NEW FILM. LENNY BEME AN ACTIVE SPOKPERSON FOR PARENTS OF MURRED CHILDREN. I RETURNED TO THE NOVEL I WAS WRG, WHICH I HAD PUT ASI AT THE BEGNG OF THE TRIAL.IT WAS MY LAST DAY LOS ANGEL. I HAD SAID MY FAREWELLS TO ALL, KNOWG I HAD EXPERIENCED NEW DIMENSNS OF IENDSHIP AND FAY LOVE. I WAS WAG FOR THE R TO DRIVE ME TO THE AIRPORT. OUTSI WAS RAG FOR THE FIRST TIME MONTHS. THROUGH THE WDOWS I ULD SEE THE GARNERS OF THE HOE WHERE I HAD BEEN STAYG BEL AIR. THEY WERE WATERG THE LAWN AS UAL, WEARG YELLOW SLICKERS THE SISTENT DOWNPOUR.THERE WAS PLENTY OF TIME. I TOLD THE DRIVER TO TAKE ME TO CRCENT DRIVE FIRST. I WANTED TO SAY GOOD-BYE TO LENNY AGA. I KNEW WHAT AN EFFORT HAD BEEN FOR HER TO PUT HERSELF THROUGH THE ORAL OF THE TRIAL. SHE WAS BED WATCHG GOOD MORNG AMERI. I SAT HER WHEELCHAIR NEXT TO HER BED AND HELD HER HAND. “I’M PROUD OF YOU, LEN,” I SAID TO HER. “I’M PROUD OF YOU TOO,” SHE SAID TO ME, BUT SHE KEPT LOOKG AT DAVID HARTMAN ON TELEVISN.ON THE WAY OUT I TOOK A YELLOW ROSE OM THE HALL TABLE.“I WANT TO MAKE ONE MORE STOP,” I SAID TO THE DRIVER.WE WENT OUT WILSHIRE BOULEVARD TO WTWOOD. PAST THE AV THEATER PLEX, THE DRIVER MA A LEFT TURN TO THE WTWOOD CEMETERY.“I’LL BE JT A FEW MUT,” I SAID.DOMIQUE IS BURIED NEAR TWO OF HER MOTHER’S CLOSE IENDS, THE ACTRS NORMA CRANE AND NATALIE WOOD. ON HER MARKER, UNR HER NAME AND DAT, SAYS “LOVED BY ALL.” I KNELT DOWN AND PUT THE YELLOW ROSE ON HER GRAVE.“GOOD-BYE, MY DARLG DGHTER.”DOMICK DUNNE WAS A BT-SELLG THOR AND SPECIAL RRPONNT FOR VANY FAIR.DOMICK DUNNE
- INSI DOMICK DUNNE’S TI TO MENENZ BROTHERS: SHARED PARENTAL ABE, GAY INTY (EXCLIVE BOOK EXCERPT)
JTICEA FATHER’S ACUNT OF THE TRIAL OF HIS DGHTER’S KILLER.BY DOMICK DUNNEAPRIL 8, 2008SAVE THIS STORYSAVESAVE THIS STORYSAVEIT WAS THE BEGNG OF A LONG HOT SUMMER. I FLEW TO LOS ANGEL ON JULY 5, 1983, FOR AN FE STAY. THROUGHOUT THE FLIGHT OM NEW YORK I ENGAGED DILIGENT NVERSATN WH THE STRANGER NEXT TO ME, POSTPONG AS LONG AS POSSIBLE FACG THE FEELGS OF DREAD WH ME. MY TWO SONS, GRIFF AND ALEX, HAD PRECED ME OUT OM NEW YORK. ALEX, THE YOUNGER ONE, MET ME AT THE AIRPORT, AND WE DROVE TO BEVERLY HILLS TO THE HOE WHERE MY FORMER WIFE, ELLEN GRIFF DUNNE, LLED LENNY, LIV. GRIFF WAS ALREADY THERE. IT IS NOT THE HOE WE LIVED AS A FAY. IT IS SMALLER AND ON ONE LEVEL. LENNY HAS MULTIPLE SCLEROSIS AND IS NFED TO A WHEELCHAIR. WE WERE GATHERG, A FAY AGA, FOR A MURR TRIAL.THE FIRST TIME I SAW LENNY SHE WAS GETTG OFF A TRA AT THE RAILROAD STATN HARTFORD, CONNECTICUT. SHE WAS RAVISHG, AND I KNEW THAT STANT THAT I WOULD MARRY HER IF SHE WOULD HAVE ME. WE HAD A LARGE WEDDG AT HER FAY’S RANCH NOGAL, ARIZONA, 1954, AND AFTER LIVG BRIEFLY NEW YORK, WE MOVED TO BEVERLY HILLS, WHERE I WORKED FOR TWENTY-FIVE YEARS TELEVISN AND FILMS. WE HAD FIVE CHILDREN, TWO OF WHOM DIED WHEN THEY WERE ONLY A FEW DAYS OLD. LONG DIVORCED, WE HAVE, RIGHTLY OR WRONGLY, NEVER BEE UNMARRIED. OFTEN I HAVE FELT THROUGH THE YEARS THAT OUR LIV MIGHT HAVE BEEN BETTER IF WE HAD JT STUCK OUT THE DIFFICULT YEARS OF OUR MARRIAGE, BUT I DO NOT KNOW IF SHE WOULD AGREE WH THAT. WE NEVER VENTURE TO THE REALM OF WHAT MIGHT HAVE BEEN. I REFER TO HER NVERSATN AS MY WIFE, NEVER MY EX-WIFE, AND THERE IS NOT A DAY WHICH SHE DO NOT OCCUPY MY THOUGHTS FOR SOME PERD OF TIME. WE MUNITE REGULARLY AND MAIL EACH OTHER CLIPPGS WE CUT OUT OF NEWSPAPERS, AND I NO LONGER RENT, AS I ONCE DID, ADDRSG HER AS MRS. E. GRIFF DUNNE RATHER THAN AS MRS. DOMICK DUNNE.WHEN THE TELEPHONE MY NEW YORK APARTMENT WOKE ME UP AT FIVE O’CLOCK THE MORNG ON OCTOBER 31, 1982, I SENSED AS I REACHED FOR THE RECEIVER THAT DISASTER LOOMED. DETECTIVE HAROLD JOHNSTON OF THE LOS ANGEL HOMICI BURE TOLD ME THAT MY TWENTY-TWO-YEAR-OLD DGHTER, DOMIQUE, WAS NEAR ATH AT THE CEDARS-SAI MEDIL CENTER. I ASKED HIM IF HE HAD NOTIFIED MY WIFE. HE SAID HE WAS LLG OM HER HOE. LENNY GOT ON THE PHONE AND SAID, “I NEED YOU.”“WHAT HAPPENED?” I ASKED, AAID TO HEAR.“SWEENEY,” SHE ANSWERED.“I’LL BE ON THE FIRST PLANE.”I LLED GRIFF, THEN TWENTY-SEVEN, WHO LIV TWO BLOCKS AWAY OM ME NEW YORK, AND WH MUT HE WAS AT MY DOOR. HE LLED TWA AND RERVED A SEAT ON THE NEXT FLIGHT. THEN HE WENT TO AN TOMATIC TELLER MACHE AND GOT ME MONEY. AS I THREW CLOTH TO A SUSE, I HATED OVER A BLACK SU AND TIE, THKG THEY MIGHT BE BAD LUCK, BUT I PACKED THEM. BEFORE I GOT TO THE TAXI, I HUGGED GRIFF AND KISSED HIM. HE WAS TO GO THEN TO THE APARTMENT OF MY SEND SON, ALEX, AND BREAK THE NEWS TO HIM. UNIQUELY DIVIDUAL, ALEX CHOSE TO LIVE WH NO TELEPHONE ON PT STREET A RELATIVELY ACCSIBLE PART OF NEW YORK. ONLY ALEX, OF THE FOUR OF , HAD VOICED HIS DISLIKE OF JOHN SWEENEY WHEN DOMIQUE TRODUCED HIM TO OUR LIV.SHE HAD BROUGHT HIM TO NEW YORK SEVERAL MONTHS EARLIER FOR THE BOYS AND ME TO MEET. DOMIQUE WAS A SUCCSFUL YOUNG TELEVISN ACTRS WHO HAD JT MA HER FIRST MAJOR FEATURE FILM, POLTERGEIST. SWEENEY WAS THE HEAD CHEF AT MA MAISON, A WT HOLLYWOOD RTRANT SO NCERNED WH S FASHNABLE IMAGE THAT HAD AN UNLISTED TELEPHONE NUMBER TO DISURAGE THE HOI POLLOI OM ENTERG S PORTALS. WE WATCHED AN EPISO OF THE TELEVISN SERI FAME WHICH DOMIQUE WAS THE GUT STAR, AND THEN WENT OUT TO DNER. AT ONE MOMENT WHEN THE FOUR OF WERE ALONE, THE BOYS TEASED DOMIQUE ABOUT MARRIAGE, AND SHE SAID, OH NO, SHE WAS NOT GOG TO GET MARRIED, AND I KNEW SHE MEANT . I WAS RELIEVED, FOR ALTHOUGH I ULD SEE THAT SWEENEY WAS EXCSIVELY VOTED TO HER, THERE WAS SOMETHG OFF-PUTTG ABOUT HIM. THAT NIGHT I PHONED HER MOTHER AND SAID, “HE IS MUCH MORE LOVE WH HER THAN SHE IS WH HIM,” AND LENNY SAID, “YOU’RE ABSOLUTELY RIGHT.”THE NEXT MORNG ALEX TOLD ME OF AN CINT THAT HAD OCCURRED P. J. CLARKE’S AFTER I LEFT THEM. WHILE SWEENEY WAS THE MEN’S ROOM, A MAN AT THE BAR REGNIZED DOMIQUE AS THE OLR SISTER POLTERGEIST AND LLED OUT ONE OF HER L OM THE FILM: “WHAT’S HAPPENG?” DOMIQUE SCREAMS THAT LE WHEN EVIL SPIRS START TO TAKE OVER HER HOME AND E IGHTENG THGS TO HAPPEN. A FILM CLIP OF THAT SCENE HAD BEEN SHOWN SO OFTEN ON TELEVISN THAT THE LE WAS FAIAR TO PEOPLE ALL OVER THE UNTRY. THERE WAS NO FLIRTATN; WAS THE SE OF A SLIGHTLY TIPSY FAN LIGHTED TO BE THE PRENCE OF AN ACTRS HE HAD SEEN A FILM. BUT WHEN SWEENEY RETURNED TO THE TABLE AND SAW THE MAN TALKG TO DOMIQUE, HE BEME ENRAGED. HE PICKED UP THE MAN AND SHOOK HIM. ALEX SAID THAT SWEENEY’S REACTN WAS OUT OF ALL PROPORTN TO THE CINT GOG ON. ALEX SAID HE WAS SRY.THE FOLLOWG DAY I ARRIVED A FEW MUT LATE AT LUTèCE, WHERE I WAS MEETG DOMIQUE AND SWEENEY FOR LUNCH. THEY HAD NOT YET ARRIVED, SO I SAT AT A TABLE THE BAR TO WA FOR THEM. I FISHED ONE PERRIER AND ORRED ANOTHER, AND WAS BEGNG TO THK THERE HAD BEEN A MISUNRSTANDG ABOUT EHER THE TIME OR THE PLACE WHEN THEY ENTERED THE RTRANT. IT WAS A HOT SUMMER DAY, AND DOMIQUE LOOKED MARVELO A STARCHED WHE ANDY DRS, VERY CALIFORNIA-LOOKG. I WAS IMMEDIATELY AWARE THAT SHE HAD BEEN CRYG, AND THAT THERE WAS TENSN BETWEEN THEM.THE CHEF MA A GREAT FS OVER SWEENEY. THERE WAS KISSG ON BOTH CHEEKS, AND THEY SPOKE TOGETHER FRENCH. AT THE CHEF’S SUGGTN WE ATE THE SPéCIALé OF THE DAY, WHATEVER WAS, BUT THE LUNCH WAS NOT A SUCCS. I FOUND SWEENEY ILL AT EASE, NERVO, DIFFICULT TO TALK TO. IT OCCURRED TO ME THAT DOMIQUE MIGHT HAVE DIFFICULTY EXTRITG HERSELF OM SUCH A PERSON, BUT I DID NOT PURSUE THE THOUGHT.ON THE FOURTH OF JULY THE THREE OF DED AT THE RIVER CAFé UNR THE BROOKLYN BRIDGE. IT WAS A LOVELY NIGHT, AND WE WERE AT A WDOW TABLE WHERE WE ULD WATCH THE FIREWORKS. SWEENEY TOLD ME HE TEND TO LEAVE MA MAISON. HE SAID HE HAD BACKG OM A NSORTIUM OF FRENCH AND JAPANE BSMEN AND WAS GOG TO OPEN HIS OWN RTRANT ON MELROSE PLACE, A HIGHLY SIRABLE LOTN LOS ANGEL. NEVER ONCE DID HE SPEAK AFFECTNATELY OF HIS EMPLOYER, PATRICK TERRAIL, A MEMBER OF THE FRENCH RTRANT FAY THAT OWNS THE TOUR D’ARGENT PARIS. IN FACT, I SPECTED THERE WERE BAD FEELGS BETWEEN THEM.ON THAT ENDLS FLIGHT TO LOS ANGEL I DID NOT ALLOW MYSELF TO NSIR THE POSSIBILY OF HER ATH. SHE WAS MAKG A PILOT AT WARNER BROS. FOR AN NBC MISERI LLED V, AND I REMEMBER THKG THAT THEY WOULD HAVE TO SHOOT AROUND HER UNTIL SHE WAS ON HER FEET AGA. FIVE WEEKS EARLIER SHE HAD BROKEN UP WH JOHN SWEENEY, AND HE HAD MOVED OUT OF THE HOE THEY SHARED WT HOLLYWOOD. HER EXPLANATN TO ME AT THE TIME WAS, “HE’S NOT LOVE WH ME, DAD. HE’S OBSSED WH ME. IT’S DRIVG ME CRAZY.”TWO OTHER DGHTERS PRECEDG DOMIQUE DIED FANCY OM A LUNG DISEASE ONCE MON CAREAN BIRTHS KNOWN AS HYALE MEMBRANE DISEASE. DOMIQUE WAS ALL THREE DGHTERS ONE TO , TRIPLY LOVED. SHE ADORED HER OLR BROTHERS AND WAS ALWAYS TOTALLY AT EASE A SOPHISTITED WORLD WHOUT BEG SOPHISTITED HERSELF. SHE WAS A LLECTOR OF STRAY ANIMALS; HER MENAGERIE WERE A T WH A LOBOTOMY AND A LARGE DOG WH STUNTED LEGS. SHE WENT TO WTLAKE SCHOOL LOS ANGEL, THEN TO TAFT SCHOOL CONNECTICUT, THEN TO FOUNTA VALLEY SCHOOL COLORADO. AFTER THAT SHE SPENT A YEAR FLORENCE, WHERE SHE LEARNED TO SPEAK ITALIAN. TWICE SHE AND I TOOK TRIPS TO ITALY TOGETHER. EXTRAVAGANTLY EMOTNAL, SHE WAS HEARTBROKEN WHEN LENNY GAVE UP THE FAY HOME ON WALN DRIVE BEE HER WORSENG NDN HAD MA UNMANAGEABLE. I WAS NOT SURPRISED WHEN DOMIQUE ANNOUNCED HER TENTN TO BEE AN ACTRS. GRIFF, WHO IS AN ACTOR AND A PRODUCER, LATER SAID JOKGLY THAT ONE DAY SHE CID TO BEE AN ACTRS AND THE NEXT WEEK SHE WAS ON A BACK LOT MAKG A MOVIE, AND THAT OM THEN ON SHE NEVER STOPPED. IT WAS VERY NEARLY TE. SHE LOVED BEG AN ACTRS AND WAS PASSNATE ABOUT HER REER.BY THE TIME I ARRIVED LOS ANGEL AT NOON THAT SUNDAY, THE REPORT THAT DOMIQUE HAD BEEN STRANGLED OUTSI HER HOME BY HER FORMER BOYIEND AND WAS A A AT CEDARS-SAI MEDIL CENTER WAS ON ALL THE NEWS CHANNELS AND STATNS. MART CROWLEY, THE THOR OF THE BOYS THE BAND, THE FILM VERSN OF WHICH I HAD PRODUCED, MET ME AT THE AIRPORT AND FILLED ME WH WHAT LTLE RMATN HE HAD GOT OM LENNY. LENNY’S HOE ON CRCENT DRIVE WAS FULL OF PEOPLE WHEN WE GOT THERE. (IT WOULD STAY THAT WAY OM EARLY MORNG UNTIL LATE AT NIGHT FOR THE NEXT SEVEN OR EIGHT DAYS, DURG WHICH RELAY TEAMS OF IENDS MANNED THE TELEPHON, SCREENED THE LLS, HANDLED THE FFEE TAIL, ACCEPTED THE ENDLS LIVERI OF FLOWERS, MA ALL THE ARRANGEMENTS FOR OUR DAY-TO-DAY LIVG.) ALL THE TELEVISN SETS AND RADS WERE ON FOR NEWS BULLETS. IN THE MIDST OF THIS NFN SAT LENNY HER WHEELCHAIR. SHE WAS VERY LM. “THE NEWS IS NOT GOOD,” SHE SAID TO ME. AND WH MUT I HEARD THE WORDS “BRA DAMAGE” BEG WHISPERED AROUND THE HOE.MOST POPULARTMP PLANS TO DEFEND HIMSELF AGAST ELECTN CHARG BY THROWG HIS LAWYERS UNR THE B: REPORTBY BS LEVEVERYTHG TO KNOW ABOUT ARIANA GRAN AND HER NEW BOYIEND, SPONGEBOB (ETHAN SLATER)BY KENZIE BRYANTVANY FAIR’S “IT’S RAG TEENS” COVER AT 20: WHERE ARE THEY NOW?BY SAVANNAH WALSHLENNY’S MOTHER, WHO HAD HEARD THE NEWS ON THE RAD, WAS ON HER WAY OM SAN DIEGO. GRIFF AND ALEX’S PLANE WOULD BE A FEW HOURS. MY RELATIV HARTFORD LLED, AND, AS THE NEWS SPREAD, SO DID IENDS NEW YORK AND LONDON. A DOCTOR AT THE HOSPAL TELEPHONED FOR MY PERMISSN TO SERT A BOLT TO DOMIQUE’S SKULL TO RELIEVE THE PRSURE ON HER BRA. WAS ABSOLUTELY NECSARY, I ASKED. Y, HE REPLIED. ALL RIGHT, I SAID. I ASKED HIM WHEN WE ULD GO AND SEE HER. NOT YET, HE SAID.THE BOYS ARRIVED, ASHEN-FACED. WHEN THE TIME ME TO GO TO THE HOSPAL, WE WERE FULL OF DREADFUL APPREHENSN. SOME IENDS SAID TO LENNY, “YOU MTN’T GO. IT WOULD BE A TERRIBLE MISTAKE TO LOOK AT HER THIS WAY. YOU MT REMEMBER HER AS SHE WAS.” THEY WERE, OF URSE, THKG OF LENNY’S HEALTH; STRS IS THE WORST THG FOR MULTIPLE SCLEROSIS VICTIMS. SHE REPLIED, “THE MISTAKE WOULD BE IF I DIDN’T SEE HER. THAT IS WHAT I WOULD HAVE TO LIVE WH.”THE FOUR OF PROCEED SILENCE THROUGH THE MAZE OF RRIDORS LEADG TO THE TENSIVE RE UN ON THE FIFTH FLOOR OF CEDARS-SAI. ONE OF , I DON’T REMEMBER WHICH, PHED LENNY’S WHEELCHAIR, AND THE OTHER TWO FLANKED HER—A FORMATN WE WOULD TOMATILLY FALL TO MANY TIM THE YEAR THAT FOLLOWED. OUTSI THE DOUBLE DOORS OF THE UN ARE PRTED STCTNS TELLG YOU TO BUZZ AND ANNOUNCE YOURSELF. I DID SO: “THE FAY OF DOMIQUE DUNNE IS HERE.” WE WERE TOLD TO WA, THAT SOMEONE WOULD E OUT AND GET .SEVERAL PEOPLE WERE STANDG THERE, AMONG THEM THE ACTOR GEE HATON. WE EXCHANGED GREETGS. GEE SAID HIS BROTHER WAS ALSO THE ICU, AND THAT HE HAD BEEN THERE THE NIGHT BEFORE WHEN DOMIQUE WAS BROUGHT . ANOTHER MAN TRODUCED HIMSELF TO AS KEN JOHNSON, THE DIRECTOR OF THE PILOT DOMIQUE WAS WORKG ON. WAG NEARBY WAS A YOUNG ACTOR THE SAME FILM NAMED DAVID PACKER, HIS EY RED OM CRYG. PACKER, WE LEARNED, HAD BEEN DOMIQUE’S HOE AT THE TIME OF THE ATTACK AND HAD LLED THE POLICE, ALBE TOO LATE. LATER WE ALSO LEARNED THAT PACKER BEME SO IGHTENED BY THE STGGLE HE HEARD OUTSI ON THE LAWN THAT HE LEFT A MSAGE ON A IEND’S ANSWERG MACHE SAYG, “IF I DIE TONIGHT, WAS BY JOHN SWEENEY.”A NURSE APPEARED AND TOLD THAT AFTER WE HAD SEEN DOMIQUE THE DOCTORS WOULD WANT TO TALK WH . SHE SAID THAT NO ONE BUT IMMEDIATE FAY WOULD BE ALLOWED , AND ASKED TO SHOW INTIFITN. THEY WERE AAID THE PRS WOULD TRY TO PASS THEMSELV OFF AS MEMBERS OF THE FAY. SHE WARNED THAT WOULD BE A SHOCK TO LOOK AT HER, THAT WE SHOULD BE PREPARED.I WORRIED ABOUT LENNY AND LOOKED OVER AT HER. SHE CLOSED HER EY, BOWED HER HEAD, AND TOOK A EP BREATH. I WATCHED HER WILL STRENGTH TO HERSELF, THROUGH SOME NER SPIRUAL FORCE, A MOMENT SO TENSELY PRIVATE THAT I DARED NOT, EVEN LATER, QUTN HER ABOUT . OF THE FOUR OF , SHE WAS THE STRONGT WHEN WE ENTERED THE ROOM.MOST POPULARTMP PLANS TO DEFEND HIMSELF AGAST ELECTN CHARG BY THROWG HIS LAWYERS UNR THE B: REPORTBY BS LEVEVERYTHG TO KNOW ABOUT ARIANA GRAN AND HER NEW BOYIEND, SPONGEBOB (ETHAN SLATER)BY KENZIE BRYANTVANY FAIR’S “IT’S RAG TEENS” COVER AT 20: WHERE ARE THEY NOW?BY SAVANNAH WALSHAT FIRST I DID NOT REALIZE THAT THE PERSON ON THE BED WAS DOMIQUE. THERE WERE TUB HER EVERYWHERE, AND THE LIFE-SUPPORT SYSTEM ED HER TO BREATHE AND OUT WH A GROTQUE JERKG MOVEMENT THAT SEEMED A PARODY OF LIFE. HER EY WERE OPEN, MASSIVELY ENLARGED, STARG SIGHTLSLY UP AT THE CEILG. HER BETIFUL HAIR HAD BEEN SHAVED OFF. A LARGE BOLT HAD BEEN SCREWED TO HER SKULL TO RELIEVE THE PRSURE ON HER BRA. HER NECK WAS PURPLED AND SWOLLEN; VIVIDLY VISIBLE ON WERE THE MARKS OF THE MASSIVE HANDS OF THE MAN WHO HAD STRANGLED HER. IT WAS NEARLY IMPOSSIBLE TO LOOK AT HER, BUT ALSO IMPOSSIBLE TO LOOK AWAY.LENNY WHEELED HER CHAIR TO THE BED, TOOK DOMIQUE’S HAND HERS, AND SPOKE TO HER A VOICE OF PLETE LM. “HELLO, MY DARLG, ’S MOM. WE’RE ALL HERE, DOMIQUE. DAD AND GRIFF AND ALEX. WE LOVE YOU.”HER WORDS RELEASED , AND THE BOYS AND I STEPPED FORWARD AND SURROUND THE BED, EACH TOUCHG A DIFFERENT PART OF DOMIQUE. THE NURS HAD SAID THAT SHE ULD NOT HEAR , BUT WE FELT SHE ULD, AND TOOK TURNS TALKG TO HER. WE PRAYED FOR HER TO LIVE EVEN THOUGH WE KNEW THAT WOULD BE BT FOR HER TO DIE.THERE IS A SMALL NFERENCE ROOM THE ICU WHERE WE MET PERDILLY OVER THE NEXT FOUR DAYS TO DISCS HER EBBG LIFE. DR. EDWARD BRETTHOLZ TOLD THAT THE BRA SN WAS EVEN, MEANG THAT SHOWED NO LIFE, BUT THAT WOULD BE NECSARY TO TAKE THREE MORE SNS SO THAT, THE TRIAL AHEAD, THE FENSE ULD NOT CLAIM THAT CEDARS-SAI HAD REMOVED DOMIQUE OM THE LIFE-SUPPORT SYSTEM TOO SOON. THIS WAS THE FIRST MENTN OF A TRIAL. IN THE SHOCKED STATE WHICH WE WERE OPERATG, WE HAD NOT YET STARTED TO AL WH THE FACT THAT A MURR HAD TAKEN PLACE.ON THE FOURTH DAY LENNY SAID, QUE UNEXPECTEDLY, TO THE DOCTORS, “WHEN DOMIQUE DI, WE WOULD LIKE HER ANS DONATED TO THE HOSPAL.” THE BOYS AND I KNEW THAT WAS EXACTLY WHAT DOMIQUE WOULD HAVE WANTED, BUT WOULD NOT HAVE OCCURRED TO TO SAY SO AT THAT MOMENT. LENNY, ILL HERSELF WH A DISEASE FOR WHICH THERE WAS NO CURE, UNRSTOOD. DR. GRAY ELROD, WH TEARS HIS EY, SAID TWO PATIENTS THE HOSPAL WERE WAG FOR KIDNEY TRANSPLANTS. WE THEN WENT AND SAID GOOD-BYE TO DOMIQUE FOR THE LAST TIME BEFORE THEY TOOK HER OFF THE SUPPORT SYSTEM. SHE WAS WHEELED TO SURGERY FOR THE REMOVAL OF HER KIDNEYS, AND TRANSPLANT OPERATNS TOOK PLACE ALMOST IMMEDIATELY. HER HEART WAS SENT TO A HOSPAL SAN FRANCIS. THEN HER BODY WAS TURNED OVER TO THE RONER FOR TOPSY.IN THE LOS ANGEL TIM A DAY OR SO AFTER THE ATTACK, PATRICK TERRAIL, THE OWNER OF MA MAISON, SCRIBED HIS CHEF, JOHN SWEENEY, AS A “VERY PENDABLE YOUNG MAN” AND SAID HE WOULD OBTA THE BT LEGAL REPRENTATN FOR HIM. HE MA NO MENT ABOUT DOMIQUE, WHOM HE KNEW, AS HE KNEW , AND THROUGHOUT THE LONG ORAL THAT FOLLOWED HE DID NOT LL ON OR WRE A LETTER OF NDOLENCE. SCE WAS TOO EARLY THEN TO AL WH THE MAGNU OF MY FEELGS FOR THE KILLER OF MY DGHTER, PATRICK TERRAIL BEME THE TERIM OBJECT OF MY GROWG RAGE.OBTAG THE BT LEGAL REPRENTATN FOR SWEENEY TOOK AN ENOMY TURN WHEN A PUBLIC FENR, MICHAEL ALSON, WAS ASSIGNED TO HANDLE THE SE. WE HEARD OM DETECTIVE JOHNSTON THAT ALSON WAS HIGHLY ACCLAIMED AND DOGGEDLY TOUGH. ASSISTG THE PUBLIC FENR, HOWEVER, WAS JOSEPH SHAPIRO, THE LEGAL UNSEL FOR MA MAISON AND A MEMBER OF THE PRTIG LAW FIRM OF DONOVAN LEISURE NEWTON & IRVE. ALTHOUGH SHAPIRO’S ROLE ON THE FENSE TEAM WAS LATER PLAYED DOWN, HE WAS AN EVER-PRENT BUT ELIVE FIGURE OM THE NIGHT FOLLOWG THE MURR, WHEN HE VISED SWEENEY THE BEVERLY HILLS JAIL, RIGHT UP UNTIL THE DAY OF THE VERDICT, WHEN HE EXULTED THE URTROOM.AT THE TIME OF THE MURR DOMIQUE WAS NSISTENTLY INTIFIED THE PRS AS THE NIECE OF MY BROTHER AND SISTER--LAW, JOHN GREGORY DUNNE AND JOAN DIDN, RATHER THAN AS THE DGHTER OF LENNY AND ME. AT FIRST I WAS TOO STUNNED BY THE KILLG FOR THIS TO MATTER, BUT AS THE DAYS PASSED, BOTHERED ME. I SPOKE TO LENNY ABOUT ONE MORNG HER BEDROOM. SHE SAID, “OH, WHAT DIFFERENCE DO MAKE?” WH SUCH SPAIR HER VOICE THAT I FELT ASHAMED TO BE NCERNED WH SUCH A TRIVIAL MATTER AT SUCH A CCIAL TIME.IN THE ROOM WH WAS MY FORMER MOTHER--LAW, BEATRIZ SANDOVAL GRIFF GOODW, THE WIDOW OF LENNY’S FATHER, THOMAS GRIFF, AN ARIZONA TTLE RANCHER, AND OF LENNY’S STEPFATHER, EWART GOODW, AN SURANCE TYON AND RANCHER. SHE IS A STRONG, UNPROMISG WOMAN WHO HAS NEVER NOT STATED EXACTLY WHAT WAS ON HER MD ANY GIVEN SUATN, A TRA THAT HAS MA HER RPECTED IF NOT ALWAYS ENARG.MOST POPULARTMP PLANS TO DEFEND HIMSELF AGAST ELECTN CHARG BY THROWG HIS LAWYERS UNR THE B: REPORTBY BS LEVEVERYTHG TO KNOW ABOUT ARIANA GRAN AND HER NEW BOYIEND, SPONGEBOB (ETHAN SLATER)BY KENZIE BRYANTVANY FAIR’S “IT’S RAG TEENS” COVER AT 20: WHERE ARE THEY NOW?BY SAVANNAH WALSH“LISTEN TO WHAT HE’S SAYG TO YOU,” SHE SAID EMPHATILLY TO LENNY. “IT SOUNDS AS IF DOMIQUE WAS AN ORPHAN RAISED BY HER NT AND UNCLE.” LENNY LOOKED UP WH A CHANGED EXPRSN. “AND,” ADD HER MOTHER, TO UNRSRE THE POT, “SHE HAD TWO BROTHERS AS WELL.”“YOU HANDLE ,” LENNY SAID TO ME. I LLED THE PUBLICIST RUPERT ALLAN, A FAY IEND, AND EXPLAED THE SUATN TO HIM. “IT’S HURTFUL TO . IT’S AS IF WE HAD NOT ONLY LOST HER BUT BEEN NIED PARENTAGE AS WELL,” I SAID. “IT’LL BE TAKEN RE OF,” RUPERT SAID, AND WAS.ON THE MORNG OF NOVEMBER 4, WHILE THE TOPSY WAS GOG ON, I WENT TO VIS THE ELRLY MONSIGNOR AT THE CHURCH OF THE GOOD SHEPHERD BEVERLY HILLS TO MAKE THE ARRANGEMENTS FOR DOMIQUE’S FUNERAL. IN YEARS PAST THIS CHURCH WAS JOKGLY REFERRED TO AS OUR LADY OF THE CADILLACS FOR THE AFFLUENCE OF S PARISHNERS. THE HOEKEEPER AT THE RECTORY TOLD ME THE MONSIGNOR WAS THE CHURCH SAYG MASS. I WAED THE ONT PEW UNTIL HE FISHED. THEN I WENT BACK TO THE VTRY WH HIM AND EXPLAED MY REASON FOR G. HE HAD READ OF THE MURR THE NEWSPAPERS, AND I THOUGHT I TECTED HIM A SLIGHT HATN OVER HAVG THE FUNERAL OF A MURR VICTIM THE GOOD SHEPHERD CHURCH. I EXPLAED TO HIM THAT WE HAD ONCE BEEN MEMBERS OF THE PARISH, THAT DOMIQUE HAD BEEN CHRISTENED THERE BY HIM TWENTY-TWO YEARS EARLIER, AND THAT HE HAD E TO OUR HOME AFTERWARD TO THE RECEPTN. THE MEMORY WAS DIM TO HIM, SO I PERSISTED. I SAID THAT MART MANULIS, THE PRODUCER, WHO WOULD BE GIVG THE LOGY AT THE FUNERAL, WAS DOMIQUE’S GODFATHER, BUT THAT EVOKED NO REMEMBRANCE EHER. I THEN SAID THAT MARIA COOPER WAS DOMIQUE’S GODMOTHER, AND AT THAT HE LOOKED UP. HE REMEMBERED MARIA WELL, HE SAID, THE BETIFUL DGHTER OF ROCKY AND GARY COOPER. HE TOLD ME HE HAD GIVEN GARY COOPER THE LAST R WHEN HE DIED, AND HAD PERFORMED THE FUNERAL MASS. HE SAID HE HAD ALWAYS HOPED MARIA WOULD BE A NUN BUT THAT, ALAS, SHE HAD MARRIED A JEWISH FELLA (THE PIANIST BYRON JANIS). BY NOW THE CHURCH WAS A CERTATY. WE DISCSED THE MIC THAT I WANTED PLAYED, AND SETTLED AT ELEVEN A.M. SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 6, FOR THE FUNERAL.ON NOVEMBER 5 WE DISVERED THAT HE MONSIGNOR HAD ALSO BOOKED A WEDDG TO THE GOOD SHEPHERD CHURCH AT ELEVEN O’CLOCK ON SATURDAY MORNG. THE MISTAKE ME TO LIGHT WHEN THE GROOM-TO-BE READ ONE OF DOMIQUE’S OBUARI THAT HER FUNERAL WAS TO BE AT THE SAME TIME AND PLACE AS HIS WEDDG. HE TELEPHONED THE CHURCH, AND THE CHURCH NOTIFIED .GRIFF, ALEX, MART MANULIS, AND I WENT TO THE RECTORY LATE THE AFTERNOON TO TRY TO STRAIGHTEN MATTERS OUT. WE WAED ENDLSLY, BUT THE MONSIGNOR DID NOT APPEAR. THE BOYS BEME IMPATIENT AND BEGAN YELLG UP THE STAIRS OF THE RECTORY. FALLY A PRIT WH A HEAVY FLEMISH ACCENT ME DOWN, BUT HE DID NOT SEEM ANX TO GET MIXED UP AN ERROR THAT WAS NOT OF HIS MAKG. WHEN WE POTED OUT TO HIM THAT PANMONIUM WAS LIKELY TO OCCUR THE FOLLOWG MORNG UNLS STEPS WERE TAKEN, HE OPERATED FIGURG OUT A PLAN. AS THE WEDDG PEOPLE REFED TO MOVE THEIR MARRIAGE UP AN HOUR, WE AGREED TO HAVE THE FUNERAL AN HOUR LATER. IT WAS TOO LATE TO RM THE NEWSPAPERS, SO WE ARRANGED FOR TWELVE HERS TO BE AT THE CHURCH AT TEN-THIRTY TO TELL PEOPLE ARRIVG FOR THE FUNERAL TO E BACK AN HOUR LATER.“I NNOT PREHEND HOW SUCH AN ERROR ULD HAVE BEEN MA,” I SAID TO THE PRIT.“IT’S EVEN WORSE THAN YOU REALIZE, MR. DUNNE,” HE REPLIED.“WHAT DO YOU MEAN?”“THE GROOM THE WEDDG IS A IEND OF THE MAN WHO MURRED YOUR DGHTER.”THAT NIGHT ON THE NEWS WE WATCHED JOHN SWEENEY BEG ARRAIGNED FOR DOMIQUE’S MURR. HE WAS ACPANIED BY THE FENSE TEAM OF MICHAEL ALSON AND JOSEPH SHAPIRO. AS WE WATCHED, WE ALL BEGAN TO FEEL GUILTY FOR NOT HAVG SPOKEN OUT OUR TE FEELGS ABOUT SWEENEY WHEN THERE WAS STILL TIME TO SAVE DOMIQUE OM HIM. IN THE DAYS THAT FOLLOWED, HER IENDS BEGAN TO TELL HOW TERRIFIED SHE WAS OF HIM DURG THE LAST WEEKS OF HER LIFE. I FOUND OUT FOR THE FIRST TIME THAT FIVE WEEKS PREVLY HE HAD ASSLTED HER AND CHOKED HER, AND THAT SHE HAD PED OM HIM AND BROKEN OFF HER RELATNSHIP WH HIM. FRED LEOPOLD, A FAY IEND AND THE FORMER MAYOR OF BEVERLY HILLS, TOLD DURG A NDOLENCE LL THAT HE HEARD OM A SECRETARY HIS LAW OFFICE THAT JOHN SWEENEY HAD SEVERELY BEATEN ANOTHER WOMAN A YEAR OR SO EARLIER. WE PASSED ON THIS RMATN TO DETECTIVE HAROLD JOHNSTON, WHO STAYED CLOSE TO OUR FAY DURG THOSE DAYS.LATER THAT NIGHT, THE EVE OF THE FUNERAL, DOMIQUE APPEARED ON TWO TELEVISN PROGRAMS THAT HAD BEEN PREVLY SCHLED. ALSO ON TELEVISN THAT NIGHT WAS A FILM I HAD PRODUCED, NEVER BEFORE SEEN ON TELEVISN, AND ANOTHER FILM MY BROTHER HAD WRTEN, ALSO BEG SHOWN FOR THE FIRST TIME. WE DID NOT WATCH ANY OF THEM.THE DAY OF THE FUNERAL, NOVEMBER 6, WAS CREDIBLY HOT. RIDG THE FEW BLOCKS OM LENNY’S HOE ON CRCENT DRIVE TO THE GOOD SHEPHERD CHURCH AT SANTA MONI BOULEVARD AND BEDFORD DRIVE, I NOTICED THAT THE TSEL CHRISTMAS RATNS WERE GOG UP ON THE LAMPPOSTS OF BEVERLY HILLS. AS THE LIMOE PULLED UP ONT OF THE CHURCH, I WAS EPLY TOUCHED TO SEE DR. BRETTHOLZ OM CEDARS-SAI THE CROWD ARRIVG FOR THE SERVICE. LENNY, HER MOTHER, GRIFF, ALEX, AND I WERE THE FIRST R. WHEN THE CHFFR OPENED THE DOOR FOR TO GET OUT, A HOT GT OF WD BLEW MULTILORED WEDDG NFETTI TO THE R.THE BOYS HELPED THEIR GRANDMOTHER OUT, AND THEN WE GOT THE WHEELCHAIR OUT OF THE TNK AND MOVED LENNY OM THE R TO THE CHAIR.“THERE’S THE MOTHER,” WE HEARD SOMEONE SAY, AND A PHALANX OF PHOTOGRAPHERS AND TELEVISN MERAMEN SCEND ON , G WH A FOOT OF LENNY’S FACE. BEE THERE WERE SO MANY STEPS THE ONT OF THE CHURCH, WE CID TO TAKE THE WHEELCHAIR AROUND TO THE BACK, WHERE THERE WAS A RAMP ENTRANCE FOR HANDIPPED PEOPLE. THE MERAMEN AND PHOTOGRAPHERS WALKED BACKWARD ONT OF , SHOOTG FILM. “NO MATTER WHAT THEY DO, DON’T SAY ANYTHG,” I SAID TO THE BOYS.LENNY HAS EXTRAORDARY DIGNY. DRSED CURLY FOR A FUNERAL A LONG LAVENR DRS WH PEARLS AND A LARGE STRAW HAT, SHE MA NO ATTEMPT TO TURN AWAY OM THE TELEVISN MERAMEN. THEY SEEMED TO RPECT HER, AND ONE BY ONE THEY DROPPED AWAY.THE CHURCH WAS FILLED TO PACY, NOT WH CURSY SEEKERS ATTRACTED BY THE SENSATNALISM OF DOMIQUE’S ATH, BUT WH PEOPLE WHO KNEW HER AND LOVED HER. DURG THE SERVICE THE BOYS READ A POEM BY YEATS, AND MART MANULIS, WHO HAD BROUGHT ME TO CALIFORNIA TWENTY-SIX YEARS EARLIER TO WORK FOR HIM ON PLAYHOE 90, LIVERED THE LOGY. “EVERY YEAR OF HER LIFE,” HE SAID, “WE SPENT CHRISTMAS EVE TOGETHER AT A ROL SG AT OUR HOE. WHEN SHE ULD BARELY TALK, SHE STOOD BETWEEN HER BROTHERS AND SANG WHAT REMBLED ‘O LTLE TOWN OF BETHLEHEM’ AND SPOKE A SGLE LE OM THE GOSPEL OF SAT LE, TGHT TO HER PATIENTLY BY HER DOTG PARENTS: ‘BEE THERE WAS NO ROOM AT THE N.’ AND STANDG THERE WH THOSE HUGE GRAVE EY, SHE WAS, LIFE, AN FANTA BY GOYA, ONLY MORE BETIFUL.”A FEW NIGHTS AFTER THE FUNERAL LENNY AND I SAT HER BEDROOM, SHE HER BED, I ON , AND WATCHED DOMIQUE HILL STREET BLU. THE EPISO HAD BEEN DITED TO HER ON THE AIR BY THE PRODUCERS. WE DID NOT TALK. WE DID NOT CRY. WE SIMPLY STARED AT THE SET. SHE LOOKED SO CREDIBLY YOUNG. SHE PLAYED A BATTERED CHILD. WHAT WE WOULD NOT KNOW UNTIL THE TRIAL WAS THAT THE MARKS ON HER NECK WERE REAL, OM JOHN SWEENEY’S ASSLT ON HER FIVE WEEKS BEFORE HE KILLED HER.ON MY FIRST DAY BACK NEW YORK AFTER THE FUNERAL, I WAS MUGGED LEAVG THE SUBWAY AT TWELVE NOON TIM SQUARE. I THOUGHT I WAS THE ONLY PERSON ON THE STAIRWAY I WAS ASCENDG TO THE STREET, BUT SUDNLY I WAS GRABBED OM BEHD AND PULLED OFF BALANCE. I HEARD THE SOUND OF A SWCHBLA OPENG, AND A HAND—WHICH WAS ALL I EVER SAW OF MY ASSAILANT—REACHED AROUND AND HELD THE KNIFE ONT OF MY FACE. FROM OUT OF MY MOUTH ME A SOUND OF RAGE THAT I DID NOT KNOW I WAS PABLE OF MAKG. IT WAS MORE ANIMAL THAN HUMAN, AND I WAS LATER TOLD HAD BEEN HEARD A BLOCK AWAY. WH SENDS PEOPLE ME NNG OM EVERY DIRECTN. IN HIS PANIC MY ASSAILANT SUPERFICIALLY SLASHED MY CH WH THE BLA OF HIS KNIFE, BUT I HAD BEATEN HIM. I HAD BOTH MY WALLET AND MY LIFE, AND I REALIZED THAT, UNURAGEO AS I AM ABOUT PHYSIL BAT, I WOULD HAVE FOUGHT BEFORE GIVG . WHOEVER THAT NAMELS, FACELS MAN WAS, TO ME HE WAS JOHN SWEENEY.IF DOMIQUE HAD BEEN KILLED AN TOMOBILE ACCINT, HORRIBLE AS THAT WOULD HAVE BEEN, AT LEAST WOULD HAVE BEEN OVER, AND MOURNG ULD HAVE BEGUN. A MURR IS AN ONGOG EVENT UNTIL THE DAY OF THE SENTENCG, AND MOURNG HAS TO BE POSTPONED. AFTER SEVERAL TRIPS WT FOR PRELIMARY HEARGS, I RETURNED TO LOS ANGEL JULY FOR THE TRIAL.FOR A WHILE I DROVE DOMIQUE’S ELECTRIC BLUE NVERTIBLE VOLKSWAGEN. IT HAD STOOD UNED THE DRIVEWAY OF LENNY’S HOE SCE THE MURR, A REMR OF HER THAT WE NEHER WANTED TO LOOK AT NOR ULD BEAR TO GET RID OF. I FELT STRANGE THE R, TOO OLD BY FAR TO BE DRIVG ; I ULD ALWAYS IMAGE HER , YOUNG AND PRETTY, DRIVG TOO FAST, HER BETIFUL LONG HAIR STREAMG BEHD HER. IN THE GLOVE PARTMENT I FOUND A PAIR OF HER SUNGLASS, THE ON SHE LLED HER ANNIE HALL GLASS. I HAD BOUGHT THEM FOR HER FLORENCE WHEN I VISED HER SCHOOL THERE. I TOOK THEM OUT OF THE GLOVE PARTMENT AND PUT THEM MY BRIEFSE. THROUGHOUT THE TRIAL, WHEN THE GOG GOT ROUGH, I WOULD HOLD THEM MY HAND, OR TOUCH THEM THE SI POCKET OF MY JACKET NEXT TO MY HEART, AS IF I ULD RIVE STRENGTH OM HER THROUGH THEM.ALEX WAS LIVG ON CRCENT DRIVE WH LENNY. GRIFF AND HIS GIRLIEND, THE ACTRS BROOKE ADAMS, HAD RENTED A HOE MALIBU. I WAS STAYG AT MY OLD IEND TOM MCDERMOTT’S HOE HOLMBY HILLS. ON THE SATURDAY AFTERNOON BEFORE THE MONDAY MORNG WHEN THE JURY SELECTN WAS TO START, LENNY ROUND UP AT HER HOE. SHE HAD RECEIVED A LL OM A JOURNALIST IEND OF THE FAY, WHO SAID HE WANTED TO MEET WH TO LIVER A MSAGE OM MIKE ALSON, THE FENSE ATTORNEY REPRENTG JOHN SWEENEY. WE ALL HAD CUR FEELGS ABOUT THE MEETG. WHY SHOULD THE LAWYER FOR OUR DGHTER’S MURRER BE NTACTG THROUGH A JOURNALIST RATHER THAN THROUGH THE DISTRICT ATTORNEY? AT THAT POT THE PROCEEDGS OUR RELATNSHIP WH THE DISTRICT ATTORNEY, STEVEN BARSHOP, WAS STILL VERY FORMAL. WE LLED HIM MR. BARSHOP, AND HE LLED MR. AND MRS. DUNNE. WE DID NOT EVEN HAVE HIS HOME TELEPHONE NUMBER. WE CID ADVANCE THAT NO MATTER WHAT WAS SAID TO AT THE MEETG WE WOULD LISTEN TO THE MSAGE AND MAKE NO MENT.THE PURPOSE OF THE JOURNALIST’S VIS WAS TO OFFER A PLEA BARGA SO THAT THE SE WOULD NOT HAVE TO GO TO TRIAL. HE SAID THAT SWEENEY WAS FULL OF REMORSE AND WAS WILLG TO GO TO PRISON. SWEENEY WOULD PLEAD GUILTY TO A RCED CHARGE OF MANSLGHTER AND WOULD SERVE SEVEN AND A HALF YEARS, BUT HE WANTED THE ASSLT CHARGE, BASED ON HIS ATTACK ON DOMIQUE FIVE WEEKS BEFORE THE MURR, DROPPED. THE JOURNALIST SAID THAT ALSON SAW THE SE, NOT AS A CRIME, BUT AS A TRAGEDY, OF “A BLUE-LLAR KID WHO GOT MIXED UP BEVERLY HILLS SOCIETY AND ULDN’T HANDLE .”WE HAD BEEN DOWN THE PLEA BARGA ROAD BEFORE. FIVE MONTHS EARLIER, FEBARY, AFTER THE PRELIMARY HEARG ON THE ASSLT CHARGE, A PLEA BARGA HAD BEEN OFFERED TO BY ALSON THROUGH THE DISTRICT ATTORNEY. AT THAT TIME WE HAD ACCEPTED , FEELG THAT LENNY’S HEALTH WOULD BE ENDANGERED BY THE TRIAL. I HAD ALSO SEEN AT THE HEARG WHAT A THLS PLAYER ALSON WAS THE URTROOM. LATER, MAY, ALSON HAD RENEGED ON THE PLEA BARGA AND OPENED UP THE WHOLE MATTER OF THE TRIAL, WHICH WE THOUGHT HAD BEEN PUT TO RT. NOW, WH TWO DAYS OF THE BEGNG OF JURY SELECTN, WE WERE BEG OFFERED, THROUGH A THIRD PARTY, ANOTHER PLEA BARGA, OM WHICH THE DISTRICT ATTORNEY HAD SIMPLY BEEN EXCLUD. I FELT DISTSTFUL AND MANIPULATED. I SPISED THE FACT THAT WE WERE SUPPOSED TO BE MOVED THAT SWEENEY WAS REMORSEFUL AND “WILLG” TO SERVE SEVEN AND A HALF YEARS.ALTHOUGH THE JOURNALIST WAS ONLY A MSENGER THE SUATN, THE MEETG BEME STRAED AS HE PRENTED ALSON’S VIEWPOTS. DOUBTS WERE PUT OUR MDS ABOUT THE ABILY OF STEVEN BARSHOP. THERE WAS EVEN A SUGGTN THAT DOMIQUE WAS A PARTICIPANT THE CRIME. NEIGHBORS WOULD BE LLED, WE WERE TOLD, WHO WOULD TTIFY THAT FIGHTS WERE MONPLACE BETWEEN DOMIQUE AND SWEENEY. THE JOURNALIST SAID THAT IF THE TWO SNCH WHO HAD E FORWARD WERE PUT ON THE STAND, ALSON WOULD “CUT THEM OFF AT THE KNE.” AT THE TIME I DIDN’T KNOW WHAT SNCH WERE; THEY ARE FELLOW PRISONERS WHO BETRAY NFINC OF THE CELL FOR LSENED SENTENC. (ONE PRISONER REPORTED THAT SWEENEY HAD NFSED TO HIM THAT HE THOUGHT HE HAD THE POLICE BELIEVG HE HAD NOT TEND TO KILL DOMIQUE, AND ANOTHER SAID THAT SWEENEY HAD TOLD HIM THAT DOMIQUE WAS A SNOB, TOO AMB, WHO SERVED WHAT SHE GOT.)THE JOURNALIST TALKED A GREAT AL ABOUT A LAWYER LLED PL FZGERALD. IN THE MONTHS AHEAD I WAS NEVER TO MEET FZGERALD, BUT HE WAS OFTEN PRENTED NVERSATN AS A SAGE OF THE URT SYSTEM, WH TRACTORS AS VOL AS HIS ADMIRERS. A FORMER PUBLIC FENR, FZGERALD WAS OCSNALLY APPOTED AS A NFLICT LAWYER BY JUDGE BURTON S. KATZ, WHOSE URTROOM THE SE WAS BEG TRIED. A MOR PERSISTED AFTER THE TRIAL THAT HE WROTE JUDGE KATZ’S ASTONISHG REVERSAL SPEECH ON THE DAY OF THE SENTENCG. HE WAS ALSO A CLOSE IEND OF MICHAEL ALSON’S. ON THAT SATURDAY AFTERNOON, BEFORE THE JURY SELECTN HAD BEGUN, PL FZGERALD WAS INTIFIED AS THE SOURCE OF THE RMATN, REERATED AGA AND AGA BY THE JOURNALIST WHO VISED , THAT MIKE ALSON WAS A WONRFUL MAN.MOST POPULARTMP PLANS TO DEFEND HIMSELF AGAST ELECTN CHARG BY THROWG HIS LAWYERS UNR THE B: REPORTBY BS LEVEVERYTHG TO KNOW ABOUT ARIANA GRAN AND HER NEW BOYIEND, SPONGEBOB (ETHAN SLATER)BY KENZIE BRYANTVANY FAIR’S “IT’S RAG TEENS” COVER AT 20: WHERE ARE THEY NOW?BY SAVANNAH WALSHIT HAD NOT BEEN MY PERSONAL EXPERIENCE TO FD MIKE ALSON A WONRFUL MAN. TWICE DURG THE FEBARY PRELIMARY HEARG HE HAD ADDRSED ME THE RRIDOR OUTSI THE URTROOM AS MR. SWEENEY, AS IF MISTAKG ME FOR THE FATHER OF THE KILLER RATHER THAN THE FATHER OF THE VICTIM. A SEASONED URTROOM OBSERVER SUGGTED TO ME THAT SCE I WAS A SYMPATHETIC FIGURE THE URTROOM, HAD BEEN ALSON’S TENTN, BY THIS OBV ERROR, TO CE ME TO MAKE SOME KD OF SLUR ON HIM PUBLIC. DURG THAT SAME HEARG A YOUNG IEND OF DOMIQUE’S NAMED BRYAN COOK REUNTED A NIGHT ON THE TOWN WH HIS GIRLIEND, DENISE DENNEHY, AND DOMIQUE AND SWEENEY DURG WHICH SEVERAL BOTTL OF CHAMPAGNE WERE NSUMED. SGLG DOMIQUE OUT OM THE QUARTET OF CELEBRANTS, ALSON, QUTNG COOK, ASKED SEVERAL TIM, “WHEN MISS DUNNE GOT OM THE BARS, HOW DNK WAS SHE?” THE OBV TENT OF THIS UGLY REPETN WAS TO GIVE THE IMPRSN THE URTROOM THAT MY ACTRS DGHTER WAS AN OUT-ON-THE-TOWN DNKARD. NO AMOUNT OF LDATORY MENT, AFTER THOSE PRELIMARY HEARGS, WOULD EVER NVCE ME THAT MIKE ALSON WAS A WONRFUL MAN. MTACHED AND EXTREMELY SHORT, HIS HEAD TOPPED WH A FULL TOUPEE, ALSON MA ME THK OF AN ANGRY MIATURE BULLDOG.THE JOURNALIST’S MISSN, THOUGH STIGATED WH GOOD TENTNS, ONLY ENGENRED BAD FEELGS.AT NE O’CLOCK ON MONDAY MORNG, JULY 11, WE GATHERED STEVEN BARSHOP’S OFFICE THE SANTA MONI COURTHOE. ALTERNATELY TOUGH-TALKG AND PROFSNAL, THE DISTRICT ATTORNEY IS ABOUT FORTY. HE ACHIEVED PUBLIC REGNN FOR HIS PROSECUTN OF THE KILLERS OF SARAI RIBIFF, THE JOURNALIST NIECE OF SENATOR ABRAHAM RIBIFF. WE FELT LUCKY THAT BARSHOP HAD BEEN ASSIGNED TO OUR SE BY ROBERT PHILIBOSIAN, THE DISTRICT ATTORNEY OF LOS ANGEL COUNTY, BUT WE FELT THAT HE DID NOT WANT ANY PERSONAL VOLVEMENT WH . ALTHOUGH NEVER DISURTEO, HE WAS BSQUE, AND HE MA VERY CLEAR THAT HE WAS NNG THE SHOW AND WOULD NOT TOLERATE ANY TERFERENCE.BARSHOP WAS ANGERED WHEN WE TOLD HIM THAT A PLEA BARGA HAD BEEN OFFERED TO BY ALSON THROUGH A JOURNALIST. “YOU DIDN’T ACCEPT , DID YOU?” HE ASKED. WE SAID WE HAD NOT. “THE MATTER IS OUT OF YOUR HANDS,” HE SAID. “THE STATE WISH TO PROCEED WH THIS TRIAL.”THAT DAY HE GAVE HIS HOME PHONE NUMBER, AND FOR THE FIRST TIME WE LLED EACH OTHER BY OUR FIRST NAM.THE ST OF CHARACTERS WAS GATHERG. DOWN THE RRIDOR OM THE DISTRICT ATTORNEY’S OFFICE SEVERAL HUNDRED POTENTIAL JURORS WERE LG ABOUT, WAG TO BE LLED FOR EXAMATN. OBSERVG THE SCENE OM THE BENCH ALONG THE WALL WAS A GROUP KNOWN AS THE URTHOE GROUPI, OLD PEOPLE OM SANTA MONI WHO E TO THE URTHOE EVERY DAY TO WATCH THE MURR TRIALS. THEY KNOW ALL THE JUDG, ALL THE LAWYERS, ALL THE S, AND ALL THE GOSSIP. AN OLD MAN A BLUE POLKA-DOT SHIRT AND A BASEBALL HAT WH “HAWAII” ON ANNOUNCED TO THE GROUP THAT HE WAS WAG TO SEE SWEENEY.“WHO’S SWEENEY?” ASKED AN OLD WOMAN WH JET BLACK, TIGHTLY PERMED HAIR.“THE GUY WHO KILLED THE MOVIE STAR,” HE ANSWERED.“WHAT MOVIE STAR?”“DOMIQUE SOMEBODY.”“NEVER HEARD OF HER.”I ASKED A MIDDLE-AGED WOMAN BLACK SLACKS AND A TAN BLOE WHO WAS RRYG A SMALL RED SUSE AND PEERG THE WDOWS OF THE DOORS TO COURTROOM D WHERE EVERYONE WAS. SHE SAID THEY HAD BROKEN FOR LUNCH. I ASKED WHAT TIME THEY WOULD BE BACK, AND SHE SAID AT TWO O’CLOCK. I THANKED HER. MY SON ALEX TOLD ME THE WOMAN WAS SWEENEY’S MOTHER, WHO HAD JT ARRIVED AFTER A TWO-DAY B TRIP OM HAZLETON, PENNSYLVANIA. I HAD NOT THOUGHT OF SWEENEY TERMS OF FAY, ALTHOUGH I KNEW HE HAD DIVORCED PARENTS AND WAS THE OLST OF SIX CHILDREN, AND THAT HIS MOTHER HAD BEEN A BATTERED WIFE. IT WAS A WELL-KNOWN FACT AMONG THE PEOPLE WHO KNEW JOHN SWEENEY THAT HE HAD LONG SCE PUT DISTANCE BETWEEN HIMSELF AND HIS FAY. ALEX SAID THAT HE HAD BEEN STG NEXT TO MRS. SWEENEY THE URTROOM EARLIER, NOT KNOWG WHO SHE WAS, WHEN JOSEPH SHAPIRO ME OVER TO HER, ADDRSED HER BY NAME, AND SAID THAT HE DISLIKED BEG THE ONE TO GIVE HER THE MSAGE, BUT HER SON DID NOT WISH TO SEE HER. ALEX SAID HER EY HAD FILLED WH TEARS. FOR THE NEXT SEVEN WEEKS WE SAT ACROSS THE AISLE OM HER EVERY DAY, AND THOUGH WE NEVER SPOKE, WE FELT PASSN FOR HER AND KNEW THAT SHE TURN FELT PASSN FOR THE DREADFUL SUATN THAT TERLOCKED OUR FAI.THE JURY SELECTN TOOK TWO WEEKS. EACH SI ULD ELIMATE, BY WAY OF PEREMPTORY CHALLENGE, TWENTY-SIX PEOPLE OM THE MA JURY BEFORE ARRIVG AT THE TWELVE, AND SIX OM THE ALTERNATE JURY BEFORE ARRIVG AT THE SIX. PEOPLE WHO HAD HAD VLENT CRIM THEIR FAI WERE TOMATILLY EXCED. WOMEN ACTIVISTS AND PEOPLE OF OBV TELLIGENCE WHO ASKED PERTENT QUTNS WERE ELIMATED BY THE FENSE. “WHAT I’M LOOKG FOR ARE TWELVE FASCISTS, AND ALSON’S LOOKG FOR TWELVE BLEEDG-HEART LIBERALS OR WEIRDOS, AND WE’LL ARRIVE SOMEWHERE BETWEEN,” SAID STEVEN BARSHOP TO ME AT ONE POT. ALSON HAD ANNOUNCED THAT HIS FENSE WOULD BE BASED MOSTLY ON PSYCHIATRIC FDGS. A WRER-PHOTOGRAPHER WHO WAS BEG QUTNED SAID HE WOULD NOT ACCEPT THE TTIMONY OF PSYCHIATRISTS AND PSYCHOLOGISTS AS FACT. HE FURTHER SAID HE FOUND FENSE ATTORNEYS MANIPULATIVE, TO WHICH ALSON REPLIED, “SUPPOSE YOU DON’T LIKE THE WAY I B MY HAIR. WOULD THAT AFFECT THE WAY YOU LISTEN TO THE TTIMONY?” I FOUND THIS AN EXTRAORDARY IMAGE FOR A LAWYER WHO WORE A TOUPEE TO E, AND THEN I REALIZE THAT HE MT THK THAT WE THOUGHT THAT THE QUARTER POUND OF HAIR TAPED TO THE TOP OF HIS HEAD WAS REAL. THIS WOULD HELP ME LATER TO UNRSTAND THE TOTAL NVICTN WH WHICH HE PRENTED HIS CLIENT’S VERSN OF THE EVENTS SURROUNDG THE MURR, WHICH WE KNEW TO BE UNTE.PRIDG OVER THE SE WAS JUDGE BURTON S. KATZ. IN HIS FORTI, JUDGE KATZ GIV THE IMPRSN OF A MAN GREATLY PLEASED WH HIS GOOD LOOKS. HE IS EXPENSIVELY BARBERED, EPLY TANNED, AND NOTICEABLY DRSED A MANNER ASSOCIATED MORE WH HOLLYWOOD AGENTS THAN WH SUPERR COURT JUDG. HE HAS TTED AVIATOR GLASS, AND ON THE FIRST DAY HE WAS WEARG SIGNER JEANS, GLOSSY WHE LOAFERS, AND NO NECKTIE BENEATH HIS JUDICIAL ROB. EVERY SEAT THE URTROOM WAS FILLED, AND JUDGE KATZ SEEMED TO LIKE PLAYG TO THE DIENCE. HIS EXPLANATNS TO THE PROSPECTIVE JURORS WERE NCISE AND CLEAR, AND HE MA HIMSELF PLEASG TO THEM. HE SAID FUNNY THGS TO MAKE THEM LGH, BUT THEN WAS REFUL TO WARN THEM AGAST LEVY.THE PLETED JURY NSISTED OF NE MEN AND THREE WOMEN. THE MAN WHO BEME THE FOREMAN RAN A STRG OF BOWLG ALLEYS. ONE OF THE MEN WAS A POSTMAN, ANOTHER A BUTCHER. ONE WORKED FOR AN AIRLE AND ANOTHER FOR A PUTER PANY. ONE WAS A TEACHER. ONE HAD A JUVENILE LQUENT SON SERVG ON A WORK FARM. TWO OF THE MEN WERE BLACK. ONE OF THE WOMEN WAS AN IRISH CATHOLIC WIDOW WH SIX CHILDREN, CLUDG A TWENTY-TWO-YEAR-OLD DGHTER. ALTHOUGH WE HAD HOPED FOR MORE WOMEN, WE WERE PLEASED WH THE MAKP OF THE JURY. ON THE STCTNS OF THE JUDGE, NOT SO MUCH AS A NOD WAS EVER EXCHANGED BETWEEN , NOT EVEN WHEN WE LUNCHED THE SAME RTRANT OR MET THE LAVATORY. HOWEVER, I FELT I GREW TO KNOW THEM AS THE WEEKS PASSED, EVEN THOUGH STEVEN BARSHOP OFTEN TOLD ME, “DON’T EVER ANTICIPATE A JURY. THEY’LL FOOL YOU EVERY TIME.”JUDGE KATZ’S RELATNSHIP WH THE JURY BORRED ON THE FLIRTAT, AND THEY RPOND KD. IF THE URT WAS LLED FOR TEN, JUDGE KATZ VARIABLY BEGAN AROUND ELEVEN, WH ELABORATE AND CHARMG APOLOGI TO THE JURY. ONE MONDAY MORNG HE TOLD THEM HE HAD HAD A GREAT WEEKEND ENSENADA, THAT HE HAD HAD THE TOP DOWN ON HIS R BOTH WAYS, AND THAT HE WISHED THEY HAD BEEN WH HIM. THE LADI LGHED LIGHTEDLY AND THE MEN GRNED BACK AT HIM.OUR FAY WAS NEVER FAVORED WH JUDGE KATZ’S CHARMS, NOT EVEN TO THE POT OF SIMPLE URTI. FOR SEVEN WEEKS HE MISPRONOUNCED DOMIQUE’S NAME, SISTENTLY LLG HER BY MY NAME, DOMICK. PEOPLE WANRED AND OUT OF THE URTROOM; LAWYERS OM OTHER S CHATTED WH THE CLERK OR ED THE BAILIFF’S TELEPHONE. THE MICROPHONE ON THE WNS STAND FELL OFF S MOORGS NUMERABLE TIM AND EHER WENT AD OR EMTED A LOUD ELECTRONIC SCREECH, AND WAS NEVER FIXED.IT IS THE FASHN AMONG THE CRIMAL ATERNY TO FD GOD, AND SWEENEY, THE KILLER, WAS NO EXCEPTN. HE ARRIVED DAILY THE URTROOM CLUTCHG A BIBLE, DRSED BLACK, LOOKG LIKE A SACRISTAN. THE BIBLE WAS A PROP; SWEENEY NEVER READ , HE JT RTED HIS FOLD HANDS ON . HE ALSO WEPT REGULARLY. ONE DAY THE URT HAD TO BE RECSED BEE HE CLAIMED THE OTHER PRISONERS HAD BEEN HARASSG HIM BEFORE HE ENTERED, AND HE NEED TIME TO CRY PRIVATE. I ULD NOT BELIEVE THAT THE JURORS WOULD BUY SUCH A PERFORMANCE. “YOU MARK MY WORDS,” SAID STEVEN BARSHOP, WATCHG HIM. “SOMETHG WEIRD IS GOG TO HAPPEN THIS TRIAL. I N FEEL .”ON JULY 20 BARSHOP LLED TO SAY THAT ALSON DID NOT WANT LENNY AT THE TRIAL BEE HER PRENCE A WHEELCHAIR WOULD CREATE UNDUE SYMPATHY FOR HER THAT WOULD BE PREJUDICIAL TO SWEENEY. SHE WAS TO APPEAR URT THE FOLLOWG DAY SO THAT THE JUDGE ULD HEAR WHAT SHE HAD TO SAY AND CI IF WAS RELEVANT TO THE TRIAL.WE BEGAN TO WORRY. IT WAS BEG APPARENT THAT NEARLY EVERYTHG ALSON REQUTED WAS BEG GRANTED. ALSON REGNIZED KATZ’S ENORMO APPETE FOR FLATTERY AND DULGED SHAMELSLY. A MARARIE SPRANG UP BETWEEN THE JUDGE AND THE PUBLIC FENR, AND THE DIMUTIVE ALSON MA HIMSELF A WILLG PARTICIPANT A NNG SERI OF “SHORT” JOK DULGED BY THE JUDGE AT HIS EXPENSE TO THE LIGHT OF THE JURY. IT WAS BEG EQUALLY APPARENT THAT THE DISTRICT ATTORNEY, STEVEN BARSHOP, WAS ILL FAVORED BY THE JUDGE.LENNY DID NOT TAKE THE STAND THE FOLLOWG DAY. SHE WAS PRECED BY LILLIAN PIERCE, WHO HAD BEEN A GIRLIEND OF JOHN SWEENEY’S BEFORE MY DGHTER. DETECTIVE HAROLD JOHNSTON HAD TRACKED HER DOWN AFTER RECEIVG A TELEPHONE TIP OM LYNNE BRENNAN, A BEVERLY HILLS PUBLICIST, WHO HAD ONCE BEEN HER IEND AND KNEW HER STORY. LILLIAN PIERCE APPEARED BY SUBPOENA ISSUED BY THE PROSECUTN AND WAS KNOWN ADVANCE TO BE A RELUCTANT WNS. LATER WE HEARD THAT SHE HAD SAT A R OUTSI THE CHURCH AT DOMIQUE’S FUNERAL AND CRIED, FEELG TOO GUILTY TO GO SI. AT ALSON’S REQUT, HER TTIMONY WAS GIVEN OUT OF THE PRENCE OF THE JURY ORR TO TERME S ADMISSIBILY AS EVINCE.MOST POPULARTMP PLANS TO DEFEND HIMSELF AGAST ELECTN CHARG BY THROWG HIS LAWYERS UNR THE B: REPORTBY BS LEVEVERYTHG TO KNOW ABOUT ARIANA GRAN AND HER NEW BOYIEND, SPONGEBOB (ETHAN SLATER)BY KENZIE BRYANTVANY FAIR’S “IT’S RAG TEENS” COVER AT 20: WHERE ARE THEY NOW?BY SAVANNAH WALSHAN ATTRACTIVE AND WELL-DRSED WOMAN HER THIRTI, LILLIAN PIERCE WAS VERY NERVO AND KEPT GLANCG OVER AT SWEENEY, WHO DID NOT LOOK AT HER. SHE HAD, SHE ADMTED, BEEN NTACT THE DAY BEFORE WH JOSEPH SHAPIRO, THE MA MAISON LAWYER. WHEN THE DISTRICT ATTORNEY STARTED TO QUTN HER, HER ACUNT OF HER RELATNSHIP WH JOHN SWEENEY WAS SO SHOCKG THAT SHOULD HAVE PUT TO RT FOREVER THE FENSE STAND THAT THE STRANGULATN ATH OF DOMIQUE DUNNE AT THE HANDS OF JOHN SWEENEY WAS AN ISOLATED CINT. HE WAS, BEME PERFECTLY APPARENT, A CLASSIC ABER OF WOMEN, AND HIS WEAPON WAS HIS HANDS.LILLIAN PIERCE SAID THAT ON TEN SEPARATE OCSNS DURG THEIR TWO-YEAR RELATNSHIP HE HAD BEATEN HER. SHE HAD BEEN HOSPALIZED TWICE, ONCE FOR SIX DAYS, ONCE FOR FOUR. SWEENEY HAD BROKEN HER NOSE, PUNCTURED HER EARDM, LLAPSED HER LUNG, THROWN ROCKS AT HER WHEN SHE TRIED TO PE OM HIM. SHE HAD SEEN HIM, SHE SAID, FOAM AT THE MOUTH WHEN HE LOST NTROL, AND SMASH FURNURE AND PICTUR. AS SHE SPOKE, THE URTROOM WAS ABSOLUTELY SILENT.ALSON WAS CENSED BY THE IMPACT OF LILLIAN PIERCE’S STORY, MA MORE CHILLG BY HER QUIET RECAL OF ALL THE ACTS OF VLENCE THAT SHE HAD SURVIVED. HE BEME VIC WH HER. “WERE YOU NOT DNK?” HE ASKED HER. “WERE YOU NOT DGGED?” HIS IMPLITN WAS THAT SHE HAD GOT WHAT SHE SERVED. HE TRIED REPEATEDLY TO GET HER TO VEER OM HER STORY, BUT SHE REMAED STEADFAST.“LET ME REMD YOU, MISS PIERCE,” HE SAID TTILY AT ONE POT, SHUFFLG THROUGH A SHEAF OF PAPERS, “WHEN YOU MET WH MR. JOE SHAPIRO AND ME FOR LUNCH ON NOVEMBER THIRD, YOU SAID…” I STOPPED FOLLOWG THE SENTENCE. MY MD REMAED AT THE DATE NOVEMBER 3. ON NOVEMBER 3 DOMIQUE WAS STILL ON THE LIFE-SUPPORT SYSTEM AT THE CEDARS-SAI. SHE WAS NOT PRONOUNCED LEGALLY AD UNTIL NOVEMBER 4. SO EVEN WHILE DOMIQUE LAY DYG, EFFORTS WERE BEG MA TO EE HER KILLER BY MEN WHO KNEW VERY WELL THAT THIS WAS NOT HIS FIRST DISPLAY OF VLENCE. ALSON KNEW, AND SENT A JOURNALIST TO OUR HOME WH THE LACHRYMOSE MSAGE THAT HE SAW DOMIQUE’S ATH, NOT AS A CRIME, BUT AS A TRAGEDY. PATRICK TERRAIL HAD TOLD DETECTIVE JOHNSTON THAT HE HAD SEEN SWEENEY ACT VLENTLY ONLY ONCE, WHEN HE “PUNCHED OUT” A TELEPHONE BOOTH THE SOUTH OF FRANCE. IT IS A FACT OF THE LEGAL SYSTEM THAT ALL RMATN GATHERED BY THE PROSECUTN RELEVANT TO THE SE IS AVAILABLE TO THE FENSE. THE REVERSE IS NOT TE. IF DETECTIVE JOHNSTON HAD NOT LEARNED ABOUT LILLIAN PIERCE OM A TELEPHONE TIP, HER EXISTENCE WOULD HAVE BEEN UNKNOWN TO . I FELT HATRED FOR MICHAEL ALSON. HIS OBJECT WAS TO W; NOTHG ELSE MATTERED.STEVEN BARSHOP CROSS-EXAMED LILLIAN PIERCE. “LET ME ASK YOU, MISS PIERCE, DO YOU E OM A WELL-TO-DO FAY?” ALSON OBJECTED. “I AM TRYG TO TABLISH A PATTERN,” BARSHOP TOLD THE JUDGE.AT THAT MOMENT—ONE OF THE MOST EXTRAORDARY I HAVE EVER EXPERIENCED—WE SAW AN ENRAGED JOHN SWEENEY, HIS PROP BIBLE FLYG, JUMP UP OM HIS SEAT AT THE UNSEL TABLE AND TAKE OFF FOR THE REAR DOOR OF THE URTROOM WHICH LEADS TO THE JUDGE’S CHAMBERS AND THE HOLDG-CELL AREA. VELMA SMH, THE URT CLERK, GAVE A STARTLED CRY. LILLIAN PIERCE, ON THE STAND, DID THE SAME. WE HEARD SOMEONE SHOUT, “GET HELP!” SILENT ALARMS WERE ACTIVATED BY JUDGE KATZ AND VELMA SMH. THE BAILIFF, PL TURNER, LEAPT TO HIS FEET A PANTHERLIKE MOVEMENT AND MA A LUNGE FOR SWEENEY, GRASPG HIM AROUND THE CHT OM BEHD. WH SENDS FOUR ARMED GUARDS SHED TO THE URTROOM, NEARLY UPSETTG LENNY’S WHEELCHAIR, AND SURROUND THE MELEE. THE BAILIFF AND SWEENEY CRASHED TO A FILE BET. “DON’T HURT HIM!” SCREAMED ALSON. SWEENEY WAS WRTLED TO THE FLOOR AND THEN HANDCUFFED TO THE ARMS OF HIS CHAIR, WHERE ALSON WHISPERED ANTILLY TO HIM TO GET HOLD OF HIMSELF.MOST POPULARTMP PLANS TO DEFEND HIMSELF AGAST ELECTN CHARG BY THROWG HIS LAWYERS UNR THE B: REPORTBY BS LEVEVERYTHG TO KNOW ABOUT ARIANA GRAN AND HER NEW BOYIEND, SPONGEBOB (ETHAN SLATER)BY KENZIE BRYANTVANY FAIR’S “IT’S RAG TEENS” COVER AT 20: WHERE ARE THEY NOW?BY SAVANNAH WALSHSOBBG, SWEENEY APOLOGIZED TO THE URT AND SAID HE HAD NOT BEEN TRYG TO PE. JUDGE KATZ ACCEPTED HIS APOLOGY. “WE KNOW WHAT A STRA YOU ARE UNR, MR. SWEENEY,” HE SAID. I WAS APPALLED AT THE LACK OF SEVERY OF THE JUDGE’S ADMONISHMENT. WHAT WE HAD WNSED HAD NOTHG TO DO WH PE. IT WAS AN EXPLOSN OF ANGER. IT SHOWED HOW LTLE TOOK TO CE JOHN SWEENEY TO ACTIVE RAGE. LIKE MOST OF THE TELLG MOMENTS OF THE TRIAL, HOWEVER, WAS NOT WNSED BY THE JURY.MIKE TIPPG, A REPORTER OM THE SANTA MONI EVENG OUTLOOK, SAW THE EPISO AND REPORTED HIS PAPER. AT THE BEHT OF ALSON, THE URT ADMONISHED TIPPG FOR EXAGGERATG THE CINT. THE SAME DAY, A URT GAG ORR WAS ISSUED TO PREVENT ANYONE VOLVED THE SE OM SPEAKG TO THE PRS.FROM THEN ON, I FELT, AND NTUE TO FEEL, THAT JOHN SWEENEY WAS SEDATED THE URTROOM SO THAT SUCH AN CINT WOULD NEVER BE REPEATED ONT OF THE JURY. HE WAS ASKED UNR OATH, NOT THE PRENCE OF THE JURY, IF HE WAS SEDATED, AND HE SAID HE WAS NOT, EXCEPT FOR SOME D MEDICE FOR AN UPSET STOMACH. THE DISTRICT ATTORNEY ASKED THE URT FOR EHER A BLOOD TT OR A URE TT TO SUBSTANTIATE SWEENEY’S REPLY, BUT JUDGE KATZ NIED THE REQUT.WHEN LENNY TOOK THE STAND THE FIRST TIME, THE JURY WAS AGA NOT PRENT. JUDGE KATZ HAD TO CI ON THE ADMISSIBILY OF HER TTIMONY, BUT HE WROTE NOT THROUGH MOST OF AND SRCELY LOOKED HER DIRECTN. LENNY SCRIBED AN CINT WHEN DOMIQUE ME TO HER HOE AT NIGHT AFTER BEG BEATEN BY SWEENEY—THE FIRST OF THE THREE TIM HE BEAT HER. DOMIQUE’S TERROR WAS SO ABJECT, LENNY SAID, THAT SHE ASSUMED A FETAL POSN THE HALLWAY. SWEENEY HAD KNOCKED HER HEAD ON THE FLOOR AND PULLED OUT CLUMPS OF HER HAIR. ALSON ASKED LENNY IF SHE KNEW WHAT THE ARGUMENT THAT PRECIPATED THE BEATG HAD BEEN ABOUT. LENNY SAID SHE DID NOT. HE ASKED HER IF SHE KNEW THAT DOMIQUE HAD HAD AN ABORTN. SHE DIDN’T. I DIDN’T. THE BOYS DIDN’T. HER CLOST IENDS DIDN’T. IT REMAED THROUGHOUT THE TRIAL AN UNSUBSTANTIATED CHARGE THAT, TO THE FENSE, SEEMED TO JTIFY THE BEATG. THE LOOK ON LENNY’S FACE WAS HEARTBREAKG, AS IF SHE HAD BEEN SLAPPED PUBLIC. JUDGE KATZ LLED HER TTIMONY HEARSAY AND SAID HE WOULD MAKE HIS CISN AS TO S ADMISSIBILY WHEN THE TRIAL RUMED ON AUGT 15 AFTER A TWO-WEEK HIAT.DURG THIS PERD OUR GREAT IEND KATIE MANULIS DIED OF NCER. OUR LIV HAVE BEEN TRITELY VOLVED WH THE MANULI, AS WE LL THEM, FOR TWENTY-FIVE YEARS. BACK AT MART’S HOE AFTER THE FUNERAL, I TOLD SAMMY GOLDWYN THAT I HAD GRAVE DOUBTS ABOUT THE JUDGE. I CED HIS SOLICONS TOWARD SWEENEY AFTER HIS OUTBURST THE URTROOM, AS WELL AS HIS DISURTY WH LENNY. SAMMY SAID HE WAS DG THAT EVENG WH JOHN VAN KAMP, THE ATTORNEY GENERAL OF THE STATE OF CALIFORNIA, AND HE WOULD GET A NDOWN ON THE JUDGE FOR ME.HE REPORTED BACK THAT JUDGE KATZ WENT TO LAW SCHOOL AT LOYOLA UNIVERSY AND THEN SERVED AS A PUTY DISTRICT ATTORNEY FOR FOURTEEN YEARS. HE HAD BEEN UNPOPULAR THE DISTRICT ATTORNEY’S OFFICE, WHERE HE WAS NSIRED A THEATRIL CHARACTER. IN 1970 HE PROSECUTED MEMBERS OF THE CHARL MANSON “FAY” FOR THE MURRS OF SHORTY SHEA AND GARY HMAN. IN 1978 HE WAS APPOTED TO THE MUNICIPAL COURT BY GOVERNOR JERRY BROWN, AND 1981 HE WAS APPOTED TO THE SUPERR COURT. HE WAS NSIRED HIGHLY AMB AND WAS SAID TO LIKE S WH HIGH MEDIA VISIBILY, LIKE THIS ONE.JUDGE KATZ LED THAT THE PROSECUTN ULD NOT E THE TTIMONY OF LILLIAN PIERCE TO SHOW THE JURY THAT JOHN SWEENEY HAD MTED PREV ACTS OF VLENCE AGAST WOMEN. HE SAID HE WOULD ALLOW MISS PIERCE TO TAKE THE STAND ONLY REBUTTAL IF ALSON PUT EXPERT WNS, MEANG PSYCHIATRISTS, ON THE STAND TO TTIFY THAT SWEENEY WAS TOO MENTALLY IMPAIRED BY EMOTN TO HAVE FORMED THE TENT TO KILL. ONCE JUDGE KATZ LED THAT, ALSON THREW OUT HIS PSYCHIATRIC FENSE. LATER THE TRIAL, WHEN THE POSSIBILY OF PUTTG LILLIAN PIERCE ON THE STAND WAS RAISED AGA, BY STEVEN BARSHOP, KATZ LED THAT THE “PREJUDICIAL EFFECT OUTWEIGHED THE PROBATIVE VALUE.” THE JURY WOULD NEVER KNOW OF LILLIAN PIERCE’S EXISTENCE UNTIL AFTER THEY HAD ARRIVED AT A VERDICT.JUDGE KATZ ALSO LED THAT LENNY’S TTIMONY ABOUT DOMIQUE’S G TO HER HYSTERICS AFTER SWEENEY FIRST BEAT HER ON AUGT 27 ULD NOT BE ED BY THE PROSECUTN DURG THE MA SE. THE JUDGE ONCE AGA AGREED WH ALSON THAT THE PREJUDICIAL EFFECT OF THE TTIMONY OUTWEIGHED S PROBATIVE VALUE, AND HE TOLD BARSHOP NOT TO MENTN THE CINT HIS PRIMARY SE. HE SAID HE WOULD CI LATER THE TRIAL WHETHER HER STORY ULD BE ED TO REBUT A MENTAL-IMPAIRMENT FENSE FOR SWEENEY.JUDGE KATZ AGREED WH ALSON THAT ALL STATEMENTS MA BY DOMIQUE TO HER AGENT, HER FELLOW ACTORS, AND HER IENDS REGARDG FEAR OF JOHN SWEENEY DURG THE LAST FIVE WEEKS OF HER LIFE MT BE NSIRED HEARSAY AND LED ADMISSIBLE AS EVINCE.IT WAS NOT AN SPIC OPENG TO THE TRIAL. THE LOSS OF THE LILLIAN PIERCE TTIMONY WAS A SEVERE BLOW TO STEVEN BARSHOP. OUR HOP WERE BUOYED BY BARSHOP’S OPENG ARGUMENT THE SE. HE BEGAN WH A SCRIPTN OF THE PARTICIPANTS. SWEENEY: TWENTY-SEVEN, SIX FOOT ONE, 170 POUNDS. DOMIQUE: TWENTY-TWO, FIVE FOOT ONE, 112 POUNDS. HE GAVE A NDOWN OF THE CHARG THE TWO CINTS, THE ASSLT ON DOMIQUE ON SEPTEMBER 26 AND THE MURR ON THE NIGHT OF OCTOBER 30. HE SCRIBED HOW SWEENEY HAD WALKED OUT OF MA MAISON RTRANT AT 8:30 THAT EVENG AND PROCEED ON FOOT TO THE HOE, WHERE HE ARGUED WH DOMIQUE AND STRANGLED HER. HE SAID THAT DOMIQUE WAS BRA-AD THERE AT THE SCENE OF THE STRANGULATN, SPE THE FACT THAT SHE WAS KEPT ON THE LIFE-SUPPORT SYSTEM AT CEDARS-SAI UNTIL NOVEMBER 4. HE SAID THAT THE RONER WOULD TTIFY THAT ATH BY STRANGULATN TOOK BETWEEN FOUR AND SIX MUT. THEN HE HELD UP A WATCH WH A SEND HAND AND SAID TO THE JURY, “LADI AND GENTLEMEN, I AM GOG TO SHOW YOU HOW LONG TOOK FOR DOMIQUE DUNNE TO DIE.” FOR FOUR MUT THE URTROOM SAT HHED SILENCE. IT WAS HORRIFYG. I HAD NEVER ALLOWED MYSELF TO THK HOW LONG SHE HAD STGGLED HIS HANDS, THRASHG FOR LIFE. A GUNSHOT OR A KNIFE STAB IS OVER AN STANT; STRANGULATN IS AN ETERNY. THE ONLY SOUND DURG THE FOUR MUT ME OM MICHAEL ALSON AND JOHN SWEENEY, WHO WHISPERED TOGETHER THE WHOLE TIME.OUR DAILY PRENCE THE URTROOM ANNOYED ALSON THROUGHOUT THE TRIAL. DEFENSE LAWYERS GENERAL DON’T LIKE JURORS TO SEE THE VICTIM’S FAY. FRIENDS OF OURS HAD ADVISED TO LEAVE TOWN UNTIL THE TRIAL WAS OVER. THE ANIZATN KNOWN AS PARENTS OF MURRED CHILDREN ADVISED TO ATTEND EVERY SSN. “IT’S THE LAST BS OF YOUR DGHTER’S LIFE,” A FATHER OF A YOUNG GIRL STABBED TO ATH BY A FORMER BOYIEND SAID TO ME ON THE TELEPHONE ONE NIGHT. WE SAT THE ONT ROW BEHD THE BAILIFF’S SK FULL VIEW OF THE JURY: LENNY THE AISLE HER WHEELCHAIR, ALEX, GRIFF AND HIS GIRLIEND, AND I. WE WERE WH SIX FEET OF JOHN SWEENEY. AS THE WEEKS CREPT BY, THE BOYS BEME MORE AND MORE SILENT. IT SEEMED TO ME AS IF THEIR YOUTH WERE BEG STRIPPED AWAY OM THEM.IN THE ROW BEHD SAT REPRENTATIV OM PARENTS OF MURRED CHILDREN; SOME HAD BEEN THROUGH THEIR TRIALS, OTHERS WERE AWAG THEIRS. MANY OF DOMIQUE’S IENDS ME ON A DAILY BASIS; SO DID IENDS OF OURS AND IENDS OF THE BOYS’. THERE WERE ALSO REPRENTATIV OM WOMEN AGAST VLENCE AGAST WOMEN AND OM VICTIMS FOR VICTIMS, THE GROUP STARTED BY THERA SALDANA, AN ACTRS WHO WAS BTALLY STABBED A FEW YEARS AGO AND SURVIVED.“IF ANY MEMBER OF THE DUNNE FAY CRI, CRI OUT, ROLLS HIS EY, EXCLAIMS ANY WAY, HE WILL BE ASKED TO LEAVE THE URTROOM,” WE WERE TOLD BY THE JUDGE AT THE BEHT OF ALSON.“YOUR HONOR, ALEX DUNNE HAD TEARS HIS EY,” ALSON LLED OUT ONE DAY. WHEN SWEENEY TOOK THE STAND, ALEX AND GRIFF CHANGED THEIR SEATS ORR TO BE HIS LE OF VISN. ALSON TRIED TO GET THEM PUT OUT OF THE URTROOM FOR THIS. WE WERE TIMIDATED BUT NEVER SEARCHED. HOW EASY WOULD HAVE BEEN TO ENTER WH A WEAPON AND ERADITE THE KILLER IF WE HAD BEEN OF THAT MD. AS THE LAST WEEK APPROACHED, ALEX SAID ONE MORNG, “I N’T GO BACK ANYMORE. I N’T BE THERE WHERE SWEENEY IS.”DOMIQUE’S IENDS BRYAN COOK AND DENISE DENNEHY FLEW OM LAKE FORT, ILLOIS, TO TTIFY ABOUT THE TIME FIVE WEEKS BEFORE THE MURR WHEN SWEENEY ATTEMPTED TO CHOKE DOMIQUE AFTER THEIR NIGHT ON THE TOWN. SHE HAD PED OM HER HOE THAT NIGHT BY CLIMBG OUT A BATHROOM WDOW AND DRIVG HER VOLKSWAGEN TO THE HOME OF AN ARTIST IEND LLED NORMAN CARBY. (LENNY WAS NEW YORK AT THE TIME.) CARBY, APPALLED BY THE MARKS OF ATTEMPTED STRANGULATN ON HER NECK, HAD THE PRENCE OF MD TO TAKE PHOTOGRAPHS. THE PICTUR WERE THE PROSECUTN’S PRIME EXHIB OF THE SERNS OF THE ASSLT. ALSON BELTLED THE PICTUR. THERE WAS, HE SAID, A THIRD PICTURE THE SAME SERI SHOWG DOMIQUE LGHG. CARBY EXPLAED THAT DOMIQUE HAD A READG THAT MORNG FOR THE ROLE OF A BATTERED CHILD ON HILL STREET BLU. CARBY SAID HE TOLD HER THAT AT LEAST SHE WOULDN’T HAVE TO WEAR ANY MAKP FOR , AND THAT HAD MA HER LGH.ONE OF THE SNCH APPEARED THE URTROOM. HE WAS THE ONE WHO CLAIMED SWEENEY HAD SAID HE THOUGHT HE HAD THE POLICE BELIEVG HE HAD NOT TEND TO KILL DOMIQUE. HE CLAIMED FURTHER THAT SWEENEY HAD ASKED HIM, “HAVE YOU EVER BEEN WH A GIRL WHO THOUGHT SHE WAS BETTER THAN YOU?” SNCH ARE KNOWN TO BE UNRELIABLE WNS, WHOM JURORS UALLY DISLIKE AND DISTST. THIS MAN’S DOSSIER, FORWARD BY HIS PRISON, PICTED A DISTURBED TROUBLEMAKER. HIS ARMS WERE TATTOOED OM HIS SHOULRS TO HIS WRISTS. STEVEN BARSHOP CID TO DISPENSE WH HIS REVELATNS. HE WAS NOT PUT ON THE STAND.ON ONE OF THE LOR PICTUR OF THE TOPSY THERE WAS A BISE ON DOMIQUE’S SHOULR, WHICH GAVE RISE TO DISAGREEMENT. NO ONE WAS QUE SURE IF HAD BEEN CURRED WHEN SHE FELL TO THE GROUND AFTER BEG STRANGLED, OR IF HAD BEEN ED BY THE LIFE-SUPPORT SYSTEM, OR IF WAS A RULT OF THE TOPSY. ALSON WAS TERMED THAT THE JURY NOT SEE THE PHOTOGRAPH WH THE BISE, AND THE ARGUMENTS WENT ON ENDLSLY WHILE THE JURY WAED AN ADJOG ROOM. JUDGE KATZ SOLVED THE MATTER: WH A PAIR OF SCISSORS PROVID BY VELMA SMH, THE URT CLERK, HE SIMPLY CUT OFF THE PICTURE BELOW THE NECK SO THAT ONLY THE ACTUAL STRANGULATN MARKS WERE VISIBLE TO THE JURY.DEPUTY FRANK DEMIL, ONE OF THE FIRST TO ARRIVE AT THE SCENE OF THE CRIME, TTIFIED ON THE STAND THAT SWEENEY HAD SAID TO HIM, “MAN, I BLEW . I KILLED HER. I DIDN’T THK I CHOKED HER THAT HARD, BUT I DON’T KNOW, I JT KEPT ON CHOKG HER. I JT LOST MY TEMPER AND BLEW AGA.”I WONRED THEN AND WONR STILL WHAT THE WORD AGA MEANT. DID REFER TO ONE OF THE OTHER TIM HE ATTACKED DOMIQUE? OR LILLIAN PIERCE? OR IS THERE SOMETHG ELSE THIS MYSTER PAST THAT HAS NOT YET E TO LIGHT? SWEENEY HAD NO R AND NO DRIVER’S LICENSE, AN ODDY FOR A YOUNG MAN TOTALLY PENNT ON WHEELS. AND ALTHOUGH HE HAD WORKED AS A HEAD CHEF ONE OF THE MOST PRTIG RTRANTS THE CY, HE WAS NEARLY TOTALLY WHOUT FUNDS. FURTHERMORE, AN RMANT AT MA MAISON TOLD DETECTIVE JOHNSTON OF ANOTHER FORMER GIRLIEND, THEN SOMEWHERE FRANCE, AGAST WHOM SWEENEY HAD MTED AT LEAST ONE ACT OF VLENCE.AFTER STEVEN BARSHOP RTED HIS SE, JUDGE KATZ LIVERED ANOTHER VASTATG BLOW TO THE PROSECUTN. HE AGREED WH A REQUT OM ALSON THAT THE JURY BE ALLOWED TO NSIR ONLY CHARG OF MANSLGHTER AND SEND-GREE MURR, TH ACQUTG SWEENEY OF FIRST GREE MURR. IN ASKG KATZ TO BAR A FIRST GREE MURR VERDICT, ALSON ARGUED, “THERE IS NO PREMEDATN OR LIBERATN THIS SE,” AND KATZ AGREED. BARSHOP ARGUED THAT THE JURY SHOULD CI WHETHER THERE WAS SUFFICIENT PREMEDATN OR LIBERATN. HE SAID SWEENEY HAD ENOUGH TIME TO NSIR HIS ACTNS DURG THE PERD—UP TO SIX MUT, ACRDG TO THE RONER’S TTIMONY—THAT TOOK HIM TO CHOKE DOMIQUE. KATZ EMPHASIZED THAT SWEENEY HAD ARRIVED AT DOMIQUE’S HOE WHOUT A MURR WEAPON, ALTHOUGH HE KNEW THAT SWEENEY’S HANDS HAD NEARLY KILLED LILLIAN PIERCE AND THAT HIS HANDS HAD NEARLY STRANGLED DOMIQUE FIVE WEEKS BEFORE HE KILLED HER. HE ALSO CED THE FACT THAT SWEENEY HAD MA NO ATTEMPT TO PE.RARELY DO TWELVE PEOPLE ON A JURY AGREE; MOST VERDICTS ARE PROMIS. IF THIS JURY HAD HAD THE OPTN OF FIRST-GREE MURR AND WERE A DISPUTE, THEY ULD HAVE PROMISED AT SEND-GREE. WH FIRST-GREE LED OUT, IF THERE WAS A DISPUTE, THEIR ONLY PROMISE WAS MANSLGHTER.DETECTIVE HAROLD JOHNSTON WAS THE URTROOM THAT DAY. HE BELIEVED THIS WAS A SE OF FIRST-GREE MURR, JT AS WE DID. MEANS OF PE AND MEANS OF METHOD HAVE NOTHG TO DO WH PREMEDATN, HE TOLD . AN RMANT AT MA MAISON HAD TOLD THAT JT BEFORE SWEENEY LEFT THE RTRANT TO GO TO DOMIQUE’S HOE ON THE NIGHT HE MURRED HER, HE HAD ORRED TWO MARTIS OM THE BAR AND DNK THEM. WE FELT THAT SWEENEY MT HAVE CID THAT IF HE ULDN’T HAVE DOMIQUE, HE HASN’T GOG TO LET ANYONE ELSE HAVE HER EHER.HAROLD JOHNSTON HAD BEE A IEND OVER THE YEAR, SCE THE NIGHT THAT HE RANG THE DOORBELL OF LENNY’S HOE ON CRCENT DRIVE AT TWO THE MORNG TO TELL HER THAT DOMIQUE WAS NEAR ATH AT CEDARS-SAI. HE HAD ALSO QUTNED SWEENEY ON THE NIGHT OF THE MURR. HE TOLD ME THE RRIDOR OUTSI THE URTROOM THAT DAY THAT THE JUDGE’S LG HAD MA HIM LOSE FAH THE SYSTEM AFTER TWENTY-SIX YEARS ON THE FORCE.ONE DAY ALSON’S WIFE AND LTLE BOYS ME TO THE TRIAL. AS IF TO OFFSET HIS UNPLEASANT IMAGE ONT OF THE JURY, ALSON ELABORATELY PLAYED FATHER: “NOW DON’T YOU TALK,” HE ADMONISHED THEM, WAVG HIS FGER. SEVERAL TIM JUDGE KATZ’S MOTHER AND FATHER ALSO ME TO OBSERVE THE PROCEEDGS. THEY WERE SEATED SPECIAL CHAIRS SET UP SI THE GATE BY THE BAILIFF’S SK, AND WHISPERED CSANTLY. INVARIABLY KATZ SHOWED OFF FOR THEIR BENEF. ON ONE OCSN, AFTER BOTH BARSHOP AND ALSON HAD FISHED WH THE WNS DAVID PACKER, THE ACTOR WHO WAS VISG DOMIQUE AT THE TIME OF THE MURR AND WHO LLED THE POLICE, JUDGE KATZ STARTED AN PENNT LE OF QUTNG, ABOUT EYEGLASS, THAT HAD NOT BEEN TRODUCED BY EHER THE PROSECUTN OR THE FENSE: DID DAVID PACKER WEAR THEM? DID HE HAVE THEM ON THE NIGHT HE SAW SWEENEY STANDG OVER DOMIQUE’S BODY? THE QUTNS ADVANCED NOTHG AND MUDDIED WHAT HAD GONE BEFORE.A PHOTOGRAPHER OM PEOPLE MAGAZE APPEARED URT ONE DAY, WEIGHED DOWN WH EQUIPMENT. I HAPPENED TO KNOW HIM. HE SAID HE HAD BEEN SENT TO TAKE PICTUR OF OUR FAY FOR AN ARTICLE HIS MAGAZE WAS DOG ON THE TRIAL. NEHER GRIFF NOR ALEX WISHED TO BE PHOTOGRAPHED, BUT THE PHOTOGRAPHER STAYED THE URTROOM AND TOOK PICTUR OF THE SSN WH SWEENEY AND THE LAWYERS. AT THE LUNCH BREAK THE JUDGE SIGNALED TO THE PHOTOGRAPHER TO SEE HIM HIS CHAMBERS. LATER, OUT THE PARKG LOT, I RAN TO THE MAN. HE TOLD ME HE HAD THOUGHT THE JUDGE WAS GOG TO ASK HIM NOT TO SHOOT DURG THE SSN. INSTEAD, THE JUDGE HAD SAID HE WANTED HIS EY TO SHOW UP THE PICTUR AND HAD TRIED ON SEVERAL DIFFERENT PAIRS OF GLASS FOR THE PHOTOGRAPHER’S APPROVAL.ALSON HAD NEVER TEND TO HAVE SWEENEY TAKE THE STAND. HOWEVER, WHEN HE HAD TO THROW OUT HIS PSYCHIATRIC FENSE TO KEEP THE JURORS OM KNOWG ABOUT SWEENEY’S PREV ACTS OF VLENCE AGAST LILLIAN PIERCE, HE HAD NO CHOICE BUT TO PUT THE ACCED ON. SWEENEY WAS ABJECTLY URTEO, ADDRSG THE LAWYERS AND JUDGE AS SIR. HE SPOKE VERY QUIETLY, AND OFTEN HAD TO BE TOLD TO RAISE HIS VOICE SO THAT THE JURORS ULD HEAR. ALTHOUGH HE WEPT, HE NEVER ONCE BEME FLTERED, AND THERE WAS NO SIGN OF THE RAGE HE EXHIBED ON THE DAY LILLIAN PIERCE TOOK THE STAND. HE PATED HIS RELATNSHIP WH DOMIQUE AS NEARLY IDYLLIC. HE GAVE THE NAM OF ALL HER ANIMALS—THE BUNNY, THE KTEN, THE PUPPY. HE REFUTED THE TTIMONY OF BRYAN COOK AND DENISE DENNEHY AND NIED THAT HE HAD ATTEMPTED TO CHOKE DOMIQUE AFTER THEIR NIGHT ON THE TOWN FIVE WEEKS BEFORE THE MURR. HE SAID HE’D ONLY TRIED TO RTRA HER OM LEAVG THE HOE. HE ADMTED THEY HAD SEPARATED AFTER THAT, AND THAT SHE HAD HAD THE LOCKS CHANGED SO THAT HE ULD NOT GET BACK THE HOE, BUT HE SISTED THAT SHE HAD PROMISED TO RENCILE WH HIM AND THAT HER REFAL TO DO SO WAS WHAT BROUGHT ON THE FAL ATTACK. HE ULD NOT, HE CLAIMED, REMEMBER THE EVENTS OF THE MURR, WHICH PROMPTED BARSHOP TO ACCE HIM OF HAVG “SELECTIVE MEMORY.” AFTER THE ATTACK, SWEENEY SAID, HE HAD ENTERED THE HOE AND ATTEMPTED TO M SUICI BY SWALLOWG TWO BOTTL OF PILLS; HOWEVER, NO BOTTL WERE EVER FOUND, AND IF HE HAD SWALLOWED PILLS, THEY DID NOT HAVE ANY APPARENT EFFECT ON HIS SYSTEM.FROM THE BEGNG WE HAD BEEN WARNED THAT THE FENSE WOULD SLANR DOMIQUE. IT IS PART OF THE FENSE PREMISE THAT THE VICTIM IS RPONSIBLE FOR THE CRIME. AS DR. WILLARD GAYL SAYS HIS BOOK THE KILLG OF BONNIE GARLAND, BONNIE GARLAND’S KILLER, RICHARD HERR, MURRED BONNIE ALL OVER AGA THE URTROOM. IT IS ALWAYS THE MURR VICTIM WHO IS PLACED ON TRIAL. JOHN SWEENEY, WHO CLAIMED TO LOVE DOMIQUE, AND WHOSE FENSE WAS THAT THIS WAS A CRIME OF PASSN, SLANRED HER URT AS VICLY AND CELLY AS HE HAD STRANGLED HER. IT WAS AGONIZG FOR TO LISTEN TO HIM, LED ON BY ALSON, BMIRCH DOMIQUE’S NAME. HIS VLENT PAST REMAED SACROSANCT AND VLATE, BUT HER NAME WAS ALLOWED TO BE TRAMPLED UPON AND KICKED, WH UNSUBSTANTIATED CHARG, BY THE MAN WHO KILLED HER.“LOOK AT HER IENDS!” I WANTED TO SCREAM AT THE JUDGE AND JURY. “YOU HAVE SEEN THEM BOTH ON THE STAND AND THE URTROOM: BRYAN COOK, DENISE DENNEHY, MELDA BTAN, K MCDONOUGH, ERI ELLT, AND THE OTHERS WHO HAVE BEEN HERE EVERY DAY—BRIGHT, CLEAN-CUT, SUCCSFUL YOUNG PEOPLE. THAT IS WHAT DOMIQUE DUNNE WAS LIKE. SHE WASN’T AT ALL THE PERSON WHOM JOHN SWEENEY IS SCRIBG.” BUT I SAT SILENT.WHEN DOMIQUE’S IENDS CLOSED UP HER HOE AFTER THE FUNERAL, HER BT IEND, MELDA BTAN, ME ACROSS A LETTER DOMIQUE HAD WRTEN TO SWEENEY, WHICH HE MAY OR MAY NOT HAVE RECEIVED. THE LETTER HAD BEEN FILED AWAY AND FOTTEN. IN THE FAL DAYS OF THE TRIAL, MELDA REMEMBERED ONE DAY WHEN A GROUP OF WERE HAVG LUNCH TOGETHER. STEVEN BARSHOP TRODUCED HIS REBUTTAL, AND AS THE URT REPORTER, SALLY YERGER, READ TO THE JURY, WAS AS IF DOMIQUE WAS SPEAKG OM BEYOND THE GRAVE.“SELFISHNS WORKS BOTH WAYS,” SHE WROTE. “YOU ARE JT AS SELFISH AS I AM. WE HAVE TO BE TWO DIVIDUALS TO WORK TOGETHER AS A UPLE. I AM NOT PERMTED TO DO ENOUGH THGS ON MY OWN. WHY MT YOU BE A PART OF EVERYTHG I DO? WHY DO YOU WANT TO E TO MY RIDG LSONS AND MY ACTG CLASS? WHY ARE YOU JEALO OF EVERY SCENE PARTNER I HAVE?“WHY MT I REUNT WORD FOR WORD EVERYTHG I SPOKE TO DR. BLACK ABOUT? WHY MT I TALK ABOUT EVERY DN WHEN YOU KNOW IS BAD LUCK FOR ME? WHY DO WE HAVE DISCSNS AT 3 A.M. ALL THE TIME, STEAD OF DURG THE DAY?“WHY MT YOU KNOW THE NAME OF EVERY PERSON I E TO NTACT WH? YOU GO CRAZY OVER MY REHEARSALS. YOU SIST ON GOG TO WORK WH ME WHEN I HAVE TOLD YOU MAK ME NERVO. YOUR PARANOIA IS OVERBOARD.… YOU DO NOT LOVE ME. YOU ARE OBSSED WH ME. THE PERSON YOU THK YOU LOVE IS NOT ME AT ALL. IT IS SOMEONE YOU HAVE MA UP YOUR HEAD. I’M THE PERSON WHO MAK YOU ANGRY, WHO YOU FIGHT WH SOMETIM. I THK WE ONLY FIGHT WHEN IMAG OF ME FA AWAY AND YOU ARE FACED WH THE REAL ME. THAT’S WHY ARGUMENTS EPT OUT OF NOWHERE.“THE WHOLE THG HAS MA ME REALIZE HOW SRED I AM OF YOU, AND I DON’T MEAN JT PHYSILLY. I’M AAID OF THE NEXT TIME YOU ARE GOG TO HAVE ANOTHER MOOD SWG.… WHEN WE ARE GOOD, WE ARE GREAT. BUT WHEN WE ARE BAD, WE ARE HORRENDO. THE BAD OUTWEIGHS THE GOOD.”THROUGHOUT STEVEN BARSHOP’S CLOSG ARGUMENT TO THE JURY, WHEN HE ASKED THEM TO FD SWEENEY GUILTY OF MURR THE SEND GREE, THE MAXIMUM VERDICT AVAILABLE TO THEM, JUDGE KATZ SAT WH A BOTTLE OF RRECTN FLUID, BSHG OUT L ON SOMETHG HE WAS PREPARG. LATER WE LEARNED WAS HIS STCTNS TO THE JURY. I THOUGHT, IF HE ISN’T LISTENG, OR IS ONLY HALF LISTENG, WHAT KD OF SUBLIMAL SIGNAL IS THAT SENDG TO THE JURY? DURG ALSON’S FAL ARGUMENT, ON THE OTHER HAND, HE GAVE HIS FULL ATTENTN.‘THIS WILL BE THE TOUGHT DAY OF THE TRIAL,” SAID STEVEN BARSHOP ON THE MORNG OF ALSON’S FAL ARGUMENT. “TODAY YOU WILL HEAR ALSON JTIFY MURR.” WE HAD GROWN VERY CLOSE TO STEVEN BARSHOP DURG THE WEEKS OF THE TRIAL AND ADMIRED HIS TEGRY AND HONTY. “YOU DON’T HAVE TO S THROUGH , YOU KNOW,” HE SAID. BUT WE DID, AND HE KNEW WE WOULD.I LOST UNT OF HOW MANY TIM ALSON SCRIBED SWEENEY TO THE JURY AS AN “ORDARILY REASONABLE PERSON,” AS IF THIS ACT OF MURR WERE AN ISOLATED STANCE AN ORDARILY SERENE LIFE. EVERY TIME HE SAID HE SEPARATED THE THREE WORDS—ORDARILY REASONABLE PERSON—AND UNRSRED THEM WH A POTG GTURE OF HIS HAND. WE WHO HAD SEEN EVERY MOMENT OF THE TRIAL KNEW OF THIRTEEN SEPARATE STANC OF VLENCE, TEN AGAST LILLIAN PIERCE AND THREE AGAST DOMIQUE, BUT THE JURORS AT THIS POT WERE STILL NOT EVEN AWARE OF THE EXISTENCE OF LILLIAN PIERCE. THROUGH AN RMANT AT MA MAISON, OUR FAY ALSO KNEW OF OTHER ACTS OF VLENCE AGAST WOMEN THAT HAD NOT BEEN TRODUCED TO THE SE, BUT WE SAT IMPASSIVE SILENCE AS ALSON SCRIBED THE STRANGLER AGA AND AGA AS AN ORDARILY REASONABLE PERSON.HE RETURNED TO HIS OLD THEME: “THIS WAS NOT A CRIME,” HE TOLD THE JURY. “THIS WAS A TRAGEDY.” IT DIDN’T MATTER THAT HE KNEW WASN’T TE. THEY DIDN’T KNOW WASN’T TE, AND HE WAS ONLY NCERNED WH NVCG THEM.HE TALKED ABOUT “THAT OLD-FASHNED THG: ROMANTIC LOVE.” HE MA UP DIALOGUE AND PUT THE MOUTH OF DOMIQUE DUNNE. “I, DOMIQUE, REJECT YOU SWEENEY,” HE CRIED OUT. “I LIED TO YOU SWEENEY!”WE WERE SICKENED AT HIS SHAMELSNS. LEAVG THE URTROOM DURG A BREAK, I FOUND MYSELF NEXT TO HIM THE AISLE. “YOU PIECE OF SH,” I SAID TO HIM QUIETLY SO THAT ONLY HE ULD HEAR.HIS EY FLASHED ANGER. “YOUR HONOR!” HE LLED OUT. “MAY I APPROACH THE BENCH?”I NTUED OUT THE RRIDOR, WHERE I TOLD LENNY WHAT I HAD DONE. “THAT WAS VERY STUPID,” SHE SAID. “NOW YOU’LL GET KICKED OUT OF THE URTROOM.”“NO ONE HEARD ME SAY EXCEPT ALSON,” I SAID. “WHEN THE JUDGE LLS ME UP, I’LL LIE AND SAY I DIDN’T SAY . EVERYBODY ELSE IS LYG. WHY SHOULDN’T I? IT’S HIS WORD AGAST ME.”STEVE BARSHOP APPEARED.“IS HE GOG TO KICK ME OUT?” I ASKED.BARSHOP SED. “HE N’T KICK THE FATHER OF THE VICTIM OUT OF URT ON THE LAST DAY OF THE TRIAL WH ALL THE PRS PRENT,” HE SAID. THEN HE ADD, “BUT DON’T DO AGA.”JUDGE KATZ DRANK SOFT DRKS OM STYROFOAM CUPS AS HE READ STCTNS TO THE JURY EXPLAG SEND-GREE MURR, VOLUNTARY MANSLGHTER, AND VOLUNTARY MANSLGHTER. LATER, AFTER THE SENTENCG, THE JURY FOREMAN, PL SPIEGEL, WOULD SAY ON TELEVISN THAT THE JUDGE’S STCTNS WERE PREHENSIBLE. DURG THE EIGHT DAYS THAT THE JURY WAS OUT, AD-LOCKED, THEY ASKED THE JUDGE FOUR TIM FOR CLARIFITN OF THE STCTNS, AND FOUR TIM THE JUDGE TOLD THEM THAT THE ANSWERS TO THEIR QUTNS WERE THE STCTNS.I WAS NOW LIVG THE BEL AIR HOME OF MART MANULIS, WHO HAD RETURNED EAST AFTER KATIE’S ATH TO PLETE POST-PRODUCTN WORK ON A NEW MISERI. THE JURY HAD BEEN OUT FOR OVER A WEEK, AND WE KNEW THEY ULD NOT UNRSTAND THE STCTNS. LENNY, GRIFF, ALEX, AND I WERE TERRIBLY EDGY, AND ONE EVENG WE ALL WENT OUR SEPARATE WAYS. I PACED RTLSLY OM ROOM TO ROOM THE MANULIS HOE. I HADN’T LOOKED AT TELEVISN THAT SUMMER EXCEPT OCSNALLY TO SEE THE NEWS, BUT I SUDNLY PICKED UP THE REMOTE-NTROL UN AND FLICKED THE SET ON. I OZE AT THE VOICE I HEARD.THERE, ON TELEVISN, WAS DOMIQUE SCREAMG, “WHAT’S HAPPENG?” I HAD NOT KNOWN THAT POLTERGEIST WAS SCHLED ON THE BLE CHANNEL, AND THE SHOCK OF SEEG HER WAS OVERWHELMG. I FELT AS IF SHE WERE SENDG ME A MSAGE. “I DON’T KNOW WHAT’S HAPPENG, MY DARLG,” I SCREAMED BACK AT THE TELEVISN SET, AND FOR THE FIRST TIME SCE THE TRIAL STARTED I SOBBED. THE NEXT DAY THE VERDICT ME .THE WAG WAS ENDLS. JOSEPH SHAPIRO, THE MA MAISON LAWYER, REGALED THE REPORTERS WH AN ACUNT OF AN AIN SAFARI THE VELDT WHERE THE NATIVE GUIS SERVG HIS PARTY WORE BLACK TIE. ONE OF THE URTHOE GROUPI SAID THAT THREE BUZZ TO THE CLERK’S SK MEANT THAT A VERDICT HAD BEEN REACHED. FIVE MUT BEFORE THE JURY ENTERED, WE WATCHED JUDGE KATZ SENTENCE A MAN WHO HAD ROBBED A FLOWER SHOP A NONVLENT CRIME TO FIVE YEARS PRISON. SWEENEY ENTERED, CLUTCHG HIS BIBLE, AND SAT A FEW FEET AWAY OM . MRS. SWEENEY SAT ACROSS THE AISLE WH JOSEPH SHAPIRO. THE ROOM WAS PACKED. A POOL TELEVISN MERA, REPORTERS, AND PHOTOGRAPHERS FILLED THE AISL.THE JURY ENTERED, AND THE FOREMAN, PL SPIEGEL, LIVERED TWO ENVELOP TO THE BAILIFF TO GIVE TO THE JUDGE. KATZ OPENED FIRST ONE ENVELOPE AND THEN THE OTHER, KG HIS MOMENT BEFORE THE TELEVISN MERA LIKE A STARLET AT THE GOLN GLOB. THEN, REVEALG NOTHG, HE HAND THE TWO ENVELOP TO HIS CLERK, VELMA SMH, WHO READ THE VERDICTS ALOUD TO THE URT. THE STRANGULATN ATH OF DOMIQUE DUNNE WAS VOLUNTARY MANSLGHTER, AND THE EARLIER CHOKG A MISMEANOR ASSLT. THERE WAS A GASP OF DISBELIEF THE URTROOM. THE MAXIMUM SENTENCE FOR THE TWO CHARG IS SIX AND A HALF YEARS, AND WH GOOD TIME AND WORK TIME, THE NVICT IS PAROLED TOMATILLY WHEN HE HAS SERVED HALF HIS SENTENCE, WHOUT HAVG TO GO THROUGH A PAROLE HEARG. SCE THE TIME SPENT JAIL BETWEEN THE ARRT AND THE SENTENCG UNTED AS TIME SERVED, SWEENEY WOULD BE EE TWO AND A HALF YEARS.“I AM ECSTATIC!” CRIED ALSON. HE EMBRACED SWEENEY, WHO LAID HIS HEAD ON ALSON’S SHOULR. SHAPIRO CLUTCHED MRS. SWEENEY’S HAND A VICTOR SALUTE, BUT MRS. SWEENEY, OF THE LOT OF THEM, HAD THE GRACE NOT TO EXULT PUBLICLY THAT HER SON HAD GOT AWAY WH MURR. THEN ALSON AND SHAPIRO CLASPED HANDS, ACTG AS IF THEY HAD EED AN NOCENT MAN OM THE GALLOWS. NOT NTENT WH HIS VICTORY, ALSON WANTED MORE. “PROBATN!” HE CRIED. AS WE SAT THERE LIKE WHIPPED DOGS AND WATCHED THE SPECTACLE OF JTICE AT WORK, I FELT A MADNS GROWG WH ME.JUDGE KATZ EXCED THE JURY, TELLG THEM THAT EVEN THOUGH OTHER PEOPLE MIGHT AGREE OR DISAGREE WH THE VERDICT, THEY MT NOT DOUBT THEIR CISN. “YOU WERE THERE. YOU SAW THE EVINCE. YOU HEARD THE WNS.” HE KNEW, OF URSE, THAT THEY WOULD BE HEARG OM THE PRS ABOUT LILLIAN PIERCE MUT.HE TOLD THEM THAT JTICE HAD BEEN SERVED AND THANKED THEM ON BEHALF OF THE ATTORNEYS AND BOTH FAI. I ULD NOT BELIEVE I HAD HEARD JUDGE KATZ THANK THE JURY ON BEHALF OF MY FAY FOR RCG THE MURR OF MY DGHTER TO MANSLGHTER. RAGE HEATED MY BLOOD. I FELT LOATHG FOR HIM. THE WEEKS OF STG IMPASSIVELY THROUGH THE TRAVTY THAT WE HAD WNSED FALLY TOOK THEIR TOLL. “NOT FOR OUR FAY, JUDGE KATZ!” I SHOUTED. FRIENDS BEHD ME PUT WARNG HANDS OF UTN ON MY SHOULRS, BUT REASON HAD SERTED ME.KATZ LOOKED AT ME, AGHAST, AS IF HE WERE ABOVE CRICISM HIS OWN URTROOM.“YOU WILL HAVE YOUR CHANCE TO SPEAK AT THE TIME OF THE SENTENCG, MR. DUNNE,” HE SAID.“IT’S TOO LATE THEN,” I ANSWERED.“I WILL HAVE TO ASK THE BAILIFF TO REMOVE YOU OM THE URTROOM,” HE SAID.“NO,” I ANSWERED. “I’M LEAVG THE URTROOM. IT’S ALL OVER HERE.”I TOOK LENNY’S WHEELCHAIR AND PHED UP THE AISLE. THE ROOM WAS SILENT. AT THE DOUBLE DOORS THAT OPENED ONTO THE RRIDOR, I TURNED BACK. MY EY LOCKED WH JUDGE KATZ’S AND I RAISED MY HAND AND POTED AT HIM. “YOU HAVE WHHELD IMPORTANT EVINCE OM THIS JURY ABOUT THIS MAN’S HISTORY OF VLENCE AGAST WOMEN.”THE JURY FOREMAN, WHEN ASKED LATER BY THE PRS WHAT FALLY BROKE THE ADLOCK, REPLIED ON TELEVISN, “A FEW JURORS WERE JT HOT AND TIRED AND WANTED TO GIVE UP.”THE TRIAL WAS OVER. SENTENCG WAS SET FOR NOVEMBER 10.THERE WAS AN UPROAR THE MEDIA OVER THE VERDICT, AND KABC RAD RAN AN ON-THE-HOUR EDORIAL BLASTG . LETTERS OF OUTRAGE FILLED THE NEWSPAPERS AS STORI OF JOHN SWEENEY’S HISTORY OF VLENCE AGAST WOMEN BEME PUBLIC KNOWLEDGE. THE HERALD EXAMER PUBLISHED A ONT-PAGE ARTICLE ABOUT THE SE: “HEAT OF PASSN: LEGIMATE DEFENSE OR A LEGAL LOOPHOLE?” JUDGE KATZ WAS SEVERELY CRICIZED. IN THE WEEKS THAT FOLLOWED, A LOL TELEVISN STATN RELEASED THE RULTS OF A POLL OF PROSECUTORS AND CRIMAL FENSE LAWYERS WHICH HE TIED FOR FOURTH-WORST JUDGE LOS ANGEL COUNTY.SEVERAL DAYS AFTER THE VERDICT I RETURNED TO THE URTHOE TO RETRIEVE OM THE DISTRICT ATTORNEY THE PHOTOGRAPHS AND LETTERS AND VIOTAP OF TELEVISN SHOWS THAT LENNY HAD LENT HIM. THE RECEPTNIST SAID I WOULD FD STEVE BARSHOP ONE OF THE URTROOMS. AS I PASSED COURTROOM D, OUT OF HAB I LOOKED THE WDOW. AT THAT STANT JUDGE KATZ HAPPENED TO LOOK UP. I MOVED ON AND ENTERED COURTROOM C, WHERE BARSHOP WAS BY WH ANOTHER LAWYER. THE DOORS OF THE URTROOM OPENED BEHD ME, AND JUDGE KATZ’S BAILIFF, PL TURNER, WHO HAD WRTLED SWEENEY TO THE GROUND SEVERAL MONTHS EARLIER, ASKED ME TO GO OUT TO THE HALL WH HIM. “WHAT ARE YOU DOG HERE?” HE ASKED ME. HE WAS STERN AND TOUGH.“WHAT DO YOU MEAN, WHAT AM I DOG HERE?” I REPLIED.“JT WHAT I SAID TO YOU.”“I DON’T HAVE THE RIGHT TO BE HERE?”“THERE’S BEEN A LOT OF BAD BLOOD THIS TRIAL,” HE SAID. I REALIZED THAT HE THOUGHT, OR THE JUDGE THOUGHT, THAT I HAD E THERE TO SEEK REVENGE. THEN STEVE BARSHOP ME OUT TO THE RRIDOR, AND THE BAILIFF TURNED AND LEFT .IN THE MONTH BETWEEN THE VERDICT AND THE SENTENCG, WE TRIED TO PICK UP THE PIEC OF OUR LIV, BUT THE AFTERMATH OF THE TRIAL NTUED. JOSEPH SHAPIRO APPEARED AT THE WRAP PARTY GIVEN BY 20TH CENTURY-FOX FOR THE FILM JOHNNY DANGEROLY, WHICH GRIFF -STARS, AND THE PRODUCERS ASKED HIM TO LEAVE THE LOT.ACRDG TO PROPOSN 8, THE VICTIM’S BILL OF RIGHTS, THE NEXT OF K OF MURR VICTIMS HAVE THE RIGHT TO TAKE THE STAND AT THE SENTENCG AND PLEAD WH THE JUDGE FOR THE MAXIMUM SENTENCE. WE WERE TOLD THAT ALSON TEND TO CROSS-EXAME IF WE DID THIS. WE WERE ALSO TOLD THAT ALSON, ORR TO GET SWEENEY RELEASED ON PROBATN THAT DAY, TEND TO PUT ON THE STAND PSYCHIATRISTS AND PSYCHOLOGISTS WHO WOULD TTIFY THAT SWEENEY WAS NONVLENT. AND WE WERE TOLD THAT ALSON TEND TO SHOW A VIOTAPE OF SWEENEY UNR HYPNOSIS SAYG HE ULD NOT REMEMBER THE MURR.ON THE DAY OF THE SENTENCG, PICKETS PROTTG THE VERDICT, THE JUDGE, AND MA MAISON MARCHED AND SANG ON THE URTHOE STEPS SANTA MONI. COURTROOM D WAS FILLED TO PACY. EXTRA BAILIFFS STOOD THE AISL AND AMONG THE STAN AT THE REAR OF THE ROOM. A YOUNG MAN LLED GAV DEBECKER SAT NEXT TO THE BAILIFF’S SK AND MA EQUENT TRIPS BACK TO THE JUDGE’S CHAMBERS. DEBECKER PROVIS BODYGUARD SERVICE FOR POLIL FIGUR AND PUBLIC PERSONALI.THROUGHOUT THE SEVERAL HOURS OF THE PROCEEDGS JOHN SWEENEY REMAED HUNCHED OVER, HIS FACE VERED BY HIS HANDS, SO UNOBTSIVE A FIGURE THAT HE SEEMED ALMOST NOT TO BE THERE.TWO OF SWEENEY’S SISTERS TOOK THE STAND AND ASKED FOR MERCY FOR THEIR BROTHER. MRS. SWEENEY SCRIBED HER LIFE AS A BATTERED AND BEATEN WIFE. GRIFF TOOK THE STAND AND PRENTED JUDGE KATZ WH A PETN THAT HAD BEEN CIRCULATED BY DOMIQUE’S IENDS; NTAED A THOAND SIGNATUR OF PEOPLE PROTTG THE VERDICT AND ASKG FOR THE MAXIMUM SENTENCE. LENNY SPOKE, AND I SPOKE.WE WERE NOT CROSS-EXAMED BY ALSON. NO PSYCHIATRISTS OR PSYCHOLOGISTS TOOK THE STAND. NO VIOTAPE OF SWEENEY SAYG HE ULD NOT REMEMBER THE MURR WAS SHOWN. BUT A WHOLE NEW DYNAMIC ENTERED COURTROOM D THAT DAY AND DOMATED EVERYTHG ELSE: THE OUTRAGE OF JUDGE BURTON S. KATZ OVER THE JTICE OF THE VERDICT ARRIVED AT BY THE JURY.HE MOCKED THE ARGUMENT THAT SWEENEY HAD ACTED THE HEAT OF PASSN. “I WILL STATE ON THE RERD THAT I BELIEVE THIS IS A MURR. I BELIEVE THAT SWEENEY IS A MURRER AND NOT A MANSLGHTERER.… THIS IS A KILLG WH MALICE. THIS MAN HELD ON TO THIS YOUNG, VULNERABLE, BETIFUL, WARM HUMAN BEG THAT HAD EVERYTHG TO LIVE FOR, WH HIS HANDS. HE HAD TO HAVE KNOWN THAT AS SHE WAS FLAILG TO GET OXYGEN, THAT THE PROCS OF ATH WAS DISPLACG THE PROCS OF LIFE.”JUDGE KATZ THEN ADDRSED SWEENEY: “YOU KNEW OF YOUR PACY FOR UNNTROLLED VLENCE. YOU KNEW YOU HURT DOMIQUE BADLY WH YOUR OWN HANDS AND THAT YOU NEARLY CHOKED HER TO UNNSCNS ON SEPTEMBER 26. YOU WERE A RAGE BEE YOUR AGILE EGO ULD NOT ACCEPT THE FAL REJECTN.”HE SAID HE WAS APPALLED BY THE JURORS’ CISN OVER SWEENEY’S FIRST ATTACK: “THE JURY ME BACK—I DON’T UNRSTAND FOR THE LIFE OF ME—WH SIMPLE ASSLT, TH TAKG AWAY THE SENTENCG PARAMETERS THAT I MIGHT HAVE ON A FELONY ASSLT.”HE LLED THE PUNISHMENT FOR THE CRIME “ANEMIC AND PATHETILLY AQUATE.” HAVG GOT THE VERDICT WE FELT HE HAD GUID THE JURORS TO GIVG, HE WAS NOW BLASTG THEM FOR GIVG .HE WENT ON AND ON. IT WAS AS IF HE HAD SUDNLY BEE A DIFFERENT HUMAN BEG. HOWEVER, ALL HIS ELOQUENCE CHANGED NOTHG. THE VERDICT REMAED THE SAME: MANSLGHTER. THE SENTENCE REMAED THE SAME: SIX AND A HALF YEARS, TOMATILLY OUT TWO AND A HALF.SURROUND BY FOUR BAILIFFS, SWEENEY ROSE, LOOKG AT NO ONE, AND WALKED OUT OF THE URTROOM FOR THE LAST TIME. HE WAS SENT TO THE MIMUM-SECURY FACILY AT CHO.GAV DEBECKER PURSUED DOWN THE HALL. HE SAID JUDGE KATZ WOULD LIKE TO SEE ME HIS CHAMBERS. LENNY CLED, BUT I WAS CUR, AS WAS GRIFF. DEBECKER LED TO KATZ’S CHAMBERS. “BURT,” HE SAID, TAPPG ON THE DOOR, “THE DUNN ARE HERE.”JUDGE KATZ WAS UTTERLY CHARMG. HE LLED BY OUR FIRST NAM. HE TALKED AT LENGTH ABOUT THE JTICE OF THE VERDICT AND HIS OWN SHOCK OVER , AS IF ALL THIS WERE SOMETHG WHICH HE HAD PLAYED NO PART. HE SAID HIS DGHTERS HAD NOT SPOKEN TO HIM SCE THE VERDICT ME .HE GAVE EACH OF HIS SUPERR COURT RD AND WROTE ON HIS UNLISTED TELEPHONE NUMBER AT HOME AND HIS PRIVATE NUMBER THE CHAMBERS SO THAT WE ULD LL HIM DIRECT. WHAT, I THOUGHT TO MYSELF, WOULD I EVER HAVE TO LL HIM ABOUT?BACK THE CROWD RRIDOR AGA, I WAS TALKG WH IENDS AS MICHAEL ALSON MA HIS EX. HE UGHT MY EYE, AND I SENSED WHAT HE WAS GOG TO DO. IN THE MANNER OF JOHN MCENROE LEAPG OVER THE A MOMENT OF LARGSE TO EXCHANGE PLEASANTRI WH THE VANQUISHED, THIS FENR OF MY DGHTER’S KILLER MA HIS WAY ACROSS THE RRIDOR TO SPEAK TO ME. I WAED UNTIL HE WAS VERY NEAR, AND AS HE WAS ABOUT TO EXTEND HIS HAND I TURNED AWAY OM HIM.WHEN MICHAEL ALSON WAS ASKED AN NBC TELEVISN TERVIEW IF HE THOUGHT SWEENEY WOULD POSE A THREAT TO SOCIETY WHEN RELEASED OM PRISON TWO AND A HALF YEARS, HE PONRED AND REPLIED, “I THK HE WILL BE SAFE IF HE GETS THE THERAPY HE NEEDS. HIS RAGE NEEDS TO BE WORKED UPON.” JUDGE KATZ, WHEN ASKED THE SAME QUTN BY THE SAME TERVIEWER, ANSWERED, “I WOULDN’T BE FORTABLE WH HIM SOCIETY.” STEVEN BARSHOP TOLD A NEWSPAPER REPORTER, “HE’LL BE OUT TIME TO OK SOMEONE A NICE DNER AND KILL SOMEONE ELSE.” PL SPIEGEL, THE JURY FOREMAN, A TELEVISN TERVIEW, LLED THE JUDGE’S CRICISM OF THE VERDICT A CHEAP SHOT. HE SAID THE JUDGE WAS NCERNED OVER THE CRICISM HE HIMSELF HAD RECEIVED SCE THE TRIAL AND WAS TRYG TO PLACE THE BLAME ELSEWHERE. SPIEGEL SAID HE FELT THAT JTICE HAD NOT BEEN SERVED. HE SAID THE JURY WOULD CERTALY HAVE FOUND SWEENEY GUILTY IF THEY HAD HEARD ALL THE EVINCE. “IF WERE UP TO ME,” HE SAID, “SWEENEY WOULD HAVE SPENT THE RT OF HIS LIFE JAIL.”NOT ONE OF REGRETS HAVG GONE THROUGH THE TRIAL, OR WISH THAT WE HAD ACCEPTED A PLEA BARGA, EVEN THOUGH SWEENEY WOULD THEN HAVE HAD TO SERVE SEVEN AND A HALF YEARS RATHER THAN TWO AND A HALF. WE CHOSE TO GO TO TRIAL, AND WE DID, AND WE SAW TO ONE ANOTHER’S SOULS THE PROCS. WE LOVED HER, AND WE KNEW THAT SHE LOVED BACK. KNOWG THAT WE DID EVERYTHG WE ULD HAS BEEN FOR THE BEGNG OF THE RELEASE OM PA. WE THOUGHT OF REVENGE, THE BOYS AND I, BUT WAS JT A THOUGHT, NO MORE THAN THAT, MOMENTARILY FORTG. WE BELIEVE GOD AND ULTIMATE JTICE, AND THE TIME ME TO LET GO OF OUR OBSSN WH THE MURR AND PROCEED WH LIFE.ALEX CID TO STAY WH HIS MOTHER CALIFORNIA AND FISH HIS LLEGE TN. GRIFF HAD TO RETURN TO NEW YORK TO START A NEW FILM. LENNY BEME AN ACTIVE SPOKPERSON FOR PARENTS OF MURRED CHILDREN. I RETURNED TO THE NOVEL I WAS WRG, WHICH I HAD PUT ASI AT THE BEGNG OF THE TRIAL.IT WAS MY LAST DAY LOS ANGEL. I HAD SAID MY FAREWELLS TO ALL, KNOWG I HAD EXPERIENCED NEW DIMENSNS OF IENDSHIP AND FAY LOVE. I WAS WAG FOR THE R TO DRIVE ME TO THE AIRPORT. OUTSI WAS RAG FOR THE FIRST TIME MONTHS. THROUGH THE WDOWS I ULD SEE THE GARNERS OF THE HOE WHERE I HAD BEEN STAYG BEL AIR. THEY WERE WATERG THE LAWN AS UAL, WEARG YELLOW SLICKERS THE SISTENT DOWNPOUR.THERE WAS PLENTY OF TIME. I TOLD THE DRIVER TO TAKE ME TO CRCENT DRIVE FIRST. I WANTED TO SAY GOOD-BYE TO LENNY AGA. I KNEW WHAT AN EFFORT HAD BEEN FOR HER TO PUT HERSELF THROUGH THE ORAL OF THE TRIAL. SHE WAS BED WATCHG GOOD MORNG AMERI. I SAT HER WHEELCHAIR NEXT TO HER BED AND HELD HER HAND. “I’M PROUD OF YOU, LEN,” I SAID TO HER. “I’M PROUD OF YOU TOO,” SHE SAID TO ME, BUT SHE KEPT LOOKG AT DAVID HARTMAN ON TELEVISN.ON THE WAY OUT I TOOK A YELLOW ROSE OM THE HALL TABLE.“I WANT TO MAKE ONE MORE STOP,” I SAID TO THE DRIVER.WE WENT OUT WILSHIRE BOULEVARD TO WTWOOD. PAST THE AV THEATER PLEX, THE DRIVER MA A LEFT TURN TO THE WTWOOD CEMETERY.“I’LL BE JT A FEW MUT,” I SAID.DOMIQUE IS BURIED NEAR TWO OF HER MOTHER’S CLOSE IENDS, THE ACTRS NORMA CRANE AND NATALIE WOOD. ON HER MARKER, UNR HER NAME AND DAT, SAYS “LOVED BY ALL.” I KNELT DOWN AND PUT THE YELLOW ROSE ON HER GRAVE.“GOOD-BYE, MY DARLG DGHTER.”DOMICK DUNNE WAS A BT-SELLG THOR AND SPECIAL RRPONNT FOR VANY FAIR.DOMICK DUNNE
" He said, "I so intified wh Erik" and said, "We were both stutterers and had abive fathers, " but he'd never take that next step and say, "And we were both gay. There was Freric Combs, an actor who played Donald Mart Crowley's The Boys the Band [the semal gay play which Dunne executive produced the movie versn of]. There was a character Mart Crowley based on Domick--Alan, the one who's fightg wh his wife and you're not sure of his lead character, Michael, assum Alan is gay and tri to out him wh a telephone game.
At one pot, Alan's hostili about beg a room of open gays out and he asslts the queenit one, Emory. I want half the dience to thk he's gay and half to thk he's straight. " The other was Play As Lays, wh Tony Perks as a bisexual or gay movie producer who kills himself.
" Ellen's boyiend at the time was gay. As Mart said, "the gayt straight man I've ever met. When straight people are repulsed by gay sex, I don't thk that's necsarily homophobic bee I certaly know gay men who are repulsed by straight sex.
INSI DOMICK DUNNE’S TI TO MENENZ BROTHERS: SHARED PARENTAL ABE, GAY INTY (EXCLIVE BOOK EXCERPT)
But then I also know gay men--back my day when I was my 20s, there were a lot of gays I was datg who were their 30s, and more of them seemed to have been married or had relatnships than my generatn. Anyway, 1979, Domick spoke at a gay group therapy was lled the Advote Experience--a support group and weekend same year, he wrote a letter to his kids sayg he was gay, but he never mailed . He did not say, "It's my homosexualy that's eatg away at me, " he said, "It's the secret of " that was dog did he change his md about sendg the letter?
I was workg at Buzz magaze and a short profile me about Domick and talked about him beg gay, and an edor said, "He's not out. If was prted that Roddy was gay, he'd be very upset, but if you met him and you were gay, was the topic of nversatn. Well, two li out of three a't he lled himself "a closeted homosexual" an terview for William J.
There were the younger gay men--Domick was kd of open wh them, and this was near the end of his life. I said to Mart, "Didn't he talk to you guys about beg gay? " I thk 's easy to tell people you jt met that you're gay, but if you have to expla to someone who knew you when you were quote straight and married wh children, 's different bee brgs up different qutns like, "Well, what was that marriage about?