Dawn was last seen in Lomita, California on October 18, 2009. She left her restaurant, the Thyme Contemporary Cafe in the 24400 block of Narbonne Avenue, at 5:00 p.m. She has never been heard from again. Dawn and her husband of fifteen years, David Robert Viens, have operated several restaurants, mostly in Florida. The Thyme Contemporary Cafe, which had been open for less than a year prior to Dawn's disappearance, is at the site of the former Basil and Rosemary, which the Vienses had also owned and where David worked as a chef. They lived in the 25400 block of Oak Avenue. A photo of David is posted below this case summary.

David stated he and Dawn got into an argument because he wanted her to enter a drug and alcohol rehabilitation program, and she left him, taking a Louis Vuitton bag with her. He stated she had gone missing on occasions before, but never for this long. He speculated that she had gone to the mountains and would return once the ski season was over. David never reported his wife missing; her sister did instead. He reportedly threw most of Dawn's clothing and personal belongings in the trash after her disappearance. He also began seeing another woman, and she moved in with him and took over Dawn's former duties at the restaurant.

Dawn had a cache of $640 in tip money which she kept with a friend so her husband wouldn't find out about it, and she didn't take the money with her when she disappeared. She also left her Jeep behind, and she hasn't used her cellular phone. Dawn's loved ones stated she was happy in her marriage, but David had a criminal record in Florida for drug-related offenses (the police there described him as a "mid-level dealer") and she was concerned he would get in trouble with the law again. They said David discouraged Dawn from making friends.

In February 2011, authorities announced they believed Dawn had been killed, and they named David as a person of interest in her presumed death. By then, David had moved out of the home he'd shared with Dawn, which gave investigators the opportunity to search it. They found blood spattered on the bedroom walls and in another room of the house. After these facts were reported in the local newspaper, David jumped off an 80-foot cliff while trying to evade the police. They were not seeking to arrest him at that time, but they did want to question him. David survived the fall, albeit with severe injuries. While in the hospital, he was arrested for Dawn's murder. Authorities stated he has confessed to the crime.

David is awaiting trial and authorities are actively searching for Dawn's body. Foul play is suspected in her case due to the circumstances involved.

Above: David Viens