Dominick Dunne (born October 29, 1925 in Hartford, Connecticut) is an American writer and investigative journalist describing the way high society interacts with the judiciary system. He was a producer in Hollywood and is also known from his appearences on television.

After his studies at Williams College and service in World War II, including the battle of Metz, he moved to New York, then to Hollywood, CA where he directed Playhouse 90 and became vice president of Four Star Pictures. He hobnobbed with the rich and the famous of those days. In 1979, he left Hollywood, moved to Oregon, and wrote his first book: The User. In 1982 his actress daughter, Dominique Dunne, was murdered. Dunne attended the trial of her murderer and subsequently wrote: Justice: A Father's Account of the Trial of his Daughter's Killer.

This poignant report showed his ability to penetrate the outward screen of the court proceedings giving insights into the complex stories of victims and perpetrators and the curious working of the law. He went on to write articles for Vanity Fair, books, and eventually issued a TV series, Dominick Dunne's Power, Priviledge, and Justice on CourtTV to dissect justice and injustice at their intersection with the activities of celebrities. Famous trials he covered include those of O. J. Simpson, Claus von Bulow, Michael Skakel, William Kennedy Smith, and the Menendez brothers.

In 2005 Gary Condit won an undisclosed amount of money and an apology from Dunne who had earlier implicated him in the disappearence of Chandra Levy.

Today Dunne lives in Connecticut and continues to write a monthly column for Vanity Fair.

Dunne's younger brother was John Gregory Dunne. The actor and writer Griffin Dunne is his son.

Credit: en.wikipedia.org