For 12 years, Chef David Viens maintained silence over the horrific reality of his wife's brutal demise.
In his 2013 trial for the second-degree murder of his spouse, Dawn, Viens stated, “I loved my wife; I didn’t cook my wife.” He was found guilty and received a sentence of 15 years to life imprisonment. Twelve years into his incarceration, during a parole hearing, the restaurant owner from South told his story again. California Finally disclosed how he had 'cooked' his victim following her demise and subsequently disposed of her liquefied remains by pouring them into his eatery's grease trap.
In October 2009, Dawn, who worked as a hostess at Viens' restaurant, disappeared without a trace. The owner of Thyme Contemporary Café, Viens, informed his employees that she had departed following an incident where he insisted she get treatment for substance abuse issues. This explanation raised eyebrows among the staff members when they discovered Dawn’s vehicle parked at their residence in Torrance. Adding to the mystery, Dawn did not retrieve money she had entrusted to a friend—several hundred dollars intended for use should she and her spouse separate.
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When she received texts purportedly from Dawn stating that she couldn’t take her to a medical appointment due to an incorrectly spelled nickname, my friend became concerned. The messages also indicated that Dawn appeared oblivious to her friend’s battle with cancer, further heightening suspicions.
Lastly, Dawn's concerned sister, Dayna Papin, submitted a missing person’s report. When Dawn's acquaintances, the duo Karen Patterson and Mike Wade, inquired with Viens about his wife's vanishing act at his eatery, he appeared “exhausted.” Subsequently, it came to light that the cause behind Viens' unkempt appearance was because he had disposed of Dawn's remains just prior to their confrontation.
In August 2010, homicide investigators assumed control of the missing persons case following the discovery of blood spatters within the couple’s previous residence. Upon learning that he was under suspicion for his spouse's disappearance, Viens attempted suicide by leaping from an 80-foot high cliff at Pelican Cove.
The botched suicide led to severe injuries, such as multiple fractures. After confessing to being involved in the incident, Viens revealed what happened. The police then used tools like shovels and brought in cadaver dogs to tear apart the floor and walls of the café, searching intensively for traces of Dawn, though they discovered nothing.
After he ultimately admitted to disposing of his wife’s remains gruesomely, Viens stated: “I used some items such as weights that we typically employ and placed them over her body. Then, I gradually heated it until she was eventually cooked for four consecutive days.”
Viens asserted that her remains were deliberately positioned alongside other refuse in the dumpster behind the café. He mentioned that since her cranium stayed whole, he secreted it away in his mother’s loft; however, it hasn't resurfaced. According to Viens, during the incident, following a dispute with his spouse—who he claimed was behaving recklessly due to alcohol consumption, cocaine use, and being intoxicated—he used duct tape to secure her mouth, hands, and feet. Despite hearing her claim she could not breathe, he disregarded her cries for help. Taking an Ambien later, he slept through the night only to find upon waking up that she had succumbed to asphyxiation.
“I didn’t intend to kill her,” Viens stated to the parole board in 2024, describing the incident as an outcome of “a drunken outburst within the cycle of domestic abuse.” He added that his behavior—his reckless indifference toward her well-being—led to her death.
The first admission came two years following the homicide — where Vivens admitted to encapsulating his spouse’s remains within several plastic sacks and transporting them to his workplace — was replayed during the trial. This prompted the accused individual to retract his previous statements, asserting that they were not accurate as he had allegedly experienced hallucinations when making those claims initially.
However, he dismissed that unconvincing argument during the September hearing, expressing to his wife’s relatives that his conduct made him feel “terrible, embarrassed, appalling.” This honest confession was coupled with an apology to the victim's family and provided previously undisclosed details about the case. This occurred over ten years prior when law enforcement could not locate a body.
Dawn's sibling, Dayna Papin, was among multiple family members present during Viens' much-anticipated admission. However, everyone at the scene doubted that the inmate confessed sincerely; instead, they suspected he aimed to appear deserving of leniency before the California Parole Board panel. Even though he admitted guilt and expressed regret, portraying himself as someone fit for an earlier release, his application was denied.
“I contemplated suicide,” Viens told the three-member panel, as stated in a transcript acquired by The Mercury News. “I returned to the house where Dawn’s body was — the sun was beginning to set — and I experienced a panic attack; I was completely losing my composure,” he stated.
I was speaking aloud to myself, ‘Oh my goodness, you must take action. You absolutely have to do something.’ It was at that instant that I recalled seeing something on television. Right then, I resolved to proceed with boiling the remains.
“I felt terrified; panic set in. I had just moved to Los Angeles and barely knew anyone. Earlier that day, I had deceived everyone about her departure,” he added. “I committed this act and now I’m filled with remorse.” Following his confession, the victim’s relatives spoke to Mercury News expressing their wish for Viens to stay incarcerated.
