Real Life 'Hell's Kitchen': Gorgeous Restauranteur Disappears. What happened to Dawn Viens?

Crime Stories with Nancy Grace

Dawn Viens, the owner of a popular California eatery and wife of the chef, disappears. Many, including the police, initially believe Dawn left of her own accord, but the facts don’t add up. What led to her disappearance?

When Dawn met her future husband, she was a beautiful, vivacious front-end hostess. The man of her dreams, David Viens, was a talented chef. The couple married and set out to make their mark in the food industry, eventually settling in California and opening a highly successful restaurant.

Dawn disappeared after David claimed they had an argument. Police spoke with David and Dawn’s friends, but certain details didn’t add up. Then, a friend received a text from “Pixie,” Dawn’s nickname, saying she was starting over in another state.

David appeared to have moved on as well. He had a new girlfriend who had taken Dawn’s place at the restaurant and in his home. Suspicion grew when the new girlfriend was seen throwing away Dawn’s clothes. Police decided to take another look at the evidence.

The pieces of the puzzle began to fall into place, and detectives identified a new person of interest. Using traditional investigative methods, they worked tirelessly to uncover the truth about what happened to Dawn. Incriminating comments from David Viens’ daughter suggested that David himself was behind the suspicious text message. He quickly became the prime suspect.

The answer may have been in plain sight all along.

Join Nancy Grace, along with Dawn Viens’ siblings, as they discuss this case.

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