One year ago, Congress defunded public media. Now that we're 100% community funded, please become a sustaining member or increase your existing membership today.
This is an archival story that predates current editorial management.
This archival content was written, edited, and published prior to LAist's acquisition by its current owner, Southern California Public Radio ("SCPR"). Content, such as language choice and subject matter, in archival articles therefore may not align with SCPR's current editorial standards. To learn more about those standards and why we make this distinction, please click here.
Vigil Will Mark 2 Years Since Lomita Woman Disappeared, Husband Charged With Her Murder
Tomorrow marks two years since Dawn Viens disappeared. Though her husband, David, is charged with her murder, Dawn's body has never been found. A candlelight vigil will be held Tuesday night to honor Dawn Viens outside the restaurant owned by David Viens' family, where Dawn once worked.
David Viens initially said that Dawn left him, however authorities soon began to consider him a suspect in her disappearance, and, ultimately, death. When the local paper reported David Viens was a suspect, he leaped from the side of a cliff in Rancho Palos Verdes to evade authorities.
While being questioned following his jump, David Viens admitted to killing Dawn.
A search at the family restaurant, then called the Thyme Contemporary Cafe, yielded no body, though authorities thought for a time that might be where Viens had deposed of his wife's remains.
Present at the time of the cliff-jump was Kathy Galvan, Viens' new girlfriend, who is now the general manager of the family restaurant, which has since been remodeled and renamed Lulu's of Lomita.
David Viens pleaded not guilty to Dawn's murder in March.
Tuesday night's vigil will take place at 6 p.m. outside Lulu's.
One year ago, Congress voted to defund public media, eliminating a critical $1.7 million from our budget every year going forward. But they couldn’t silence us, and we’re not going anywhere. LAist is now 100% community funded and that means we’re taking our future into our own hands and turning to you to keep local reporting strong.
You come to LAist because you want independent reporting and trustworthy local information. Our nonprofit newsroom doesn’t answer to shareholders looking to turn a profit. Instead, we answer to you and our communities. We are free to follow facts wherever they lead and to hold power to account without fear or favor. Our only loyalty is to our readers and listeners and our mission: to inform, engage, and strengthen Southern California’s communities.
If this story helped you, please become a monthly member today to help sustain this mission. It just takes 1 minute to donate below.
You come to LAist because you want independent reporting and trustworthy local information. Our nonprofit newsroom doesn’t answer to shareholders looking to turn a profit. Instead, we answer to you and our communities. We are free to follow facts wherever they lead and to hold power to account without fear or favor. Our only loyalty is to our readers and listeners and our mission: to inform, engage, and strengthen Southern California’s communities.
If this story helped you, please become a monthly member today to help sustain this mission. It just takes 1 minute to donate below.
Senior Vice President News, Editor in Chief
