THE doctor who was found dead inside the house of a fire captain - whose fiancee shot herself - allegedly told her former boss the firefighter was abusive, court documents have revealed.
Sarah Sweeney, 39, allegedly gave chilling insights on her turbulent relationship with Missouri firefighter Robert Daus months before her death.
On January 13, the body of local podiatrist Sweeney was found at Daus' home in Westwood, a suburb of St. Louis, and her death was classified as sudden.
The Frontenac Police Department said there appeared to be no outward signs of trauma, but added that the medical examiner would have to determine an official cause of death.
According to Sweeney's former attorney, she suffered from a chronic health condition, but it's unclear if this influenced her death, local CBS affiliate KMOV reported.
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The tragic discovery brought to mind another death that was associated with Daus - mother of four Grace Holland's.
Holland, 35, was found dead from a single gunshot wound in Daus' home in the nearby suburb of Creve Coeur on July 22, 2020, police said.
He told detectives at the scene that she hugged him in their living room before grabbing his handgun and shooting herself in front of him.
After an investigation, her death was ruled suicide by the Creve Coeur Police Department and the medical examiner's office.
However, this has long been disputed by Holland's family, who are filing a wrongful death suit against Daus that alleges he either killed the mom-of-four or drove her to suicide through abuse.
Daus has pleaded not guilty to the allegations and is seeking to get the lawsuit thrown out.
MORE MYSTERY
A recently surfaced federal lawsuit involving West Virginia native Sweeney has given more insight into her two-year relationship with Daus.
Sweeney was suing Best Foot Forward podiatry clinic for allegedly harassing her and discriminating against her while she worked there, according to filings seen by Fox News.
The doctor, who had started her own clinic right before her death, claimed her St. Louis-based ex-employer failed to compensate her for her work and unlawfully stripped her of her medical insurance.
Lawyers representing Best Foot Forward responded with a counterclaim that was seeking to subpoena Daus for allegedly being abusive toward Sweeney.
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They claimed that Sweeney's mental and physical health was a key part of the lawsuit and that conversations Sweeney allegedly had about Daus would give an insight into how their relationship affected her.
Mark Murphy, an attorney representing the clinic, wrote in the counterclaim that Daus was "according to Sweeney, abusive and was suspected of murdering a previous girlfriend."
It comes as Sweeney's mother has said that her daughter stopped talking to her two years ago after she sent her articles about Grace Holland's death, Fox News reported.
However, Daus was never deemed a suspect and has not been hit with any charges related to Holland or Sweeney's deaths.
Sweeney claimed in her lawsuit that she was not paid "consistently or fully" since she moved to St. Louis from Texas for the job.
She was allegedly forced to take out devastating medical loans and fund her business expenses after moving on from Best Foot Forward.
She told a court on December 21 that she was left with only $212 and was in palliative care, a holistic treatment for chronic illnesses, due to her lack of health insurance.
"I have alternatively been homeless and moved several times since I arrived," she told the court.
"I am currently living with my boyfriend. Most of my belongings are in boxes."
However, Best Foot Forward and its owner alleged in their counterclaim that Sweeney breached her employment agreement and violated a no-compete clause, among other accusations.
Multiple requests for comment sent to Daus' attorney by The U.S. Sun have gone unanswered.
INVESTIGATION CONTINUES
The investigation into Sweeney's death is being headed up by the Frontenac Police Department, who told The U.S. Sun they are waiting for a medical examiner's report.
That could take up to six weeks to be completed.
Holland's death is also being reviewed again - this time by the St. Louis County District Attorney's Office.
It came after the St. Louis Police Department launched a second investigation into her death, and also deemed it suicide.
The Creve Coeur Police Department stands by its initial decision with Chief Jeffrey Hartman saying, "All investigating authorities independently reached the same conclusion."
Meanwhile, Grace's twin sister Laura voiced her heartbreak over Sweeney's death in an emotional interview with The U.S. Sun.
"I feel like I failed to protect Sarah from the same abuse Grace suffered," she said.
"I feel responsible. I feel like I didn't do enough with Grace's case."
