Dr. Sarah Sweeney feared fire captain fiancé Robert Daus and referred to him as a ‘murderer’ in chilling email to a friend, two years before she was found dead in his house

The Missouri doctor found dead in the home she shared with her fire chief fiancé told a friend that life with him was often “scary” and called him a “murderer,” DailyMail.com can reveal.

Sarah Sweeney, 39, is the second woman to die while living with and engaged to Robert Daus Jr., 50. Her death has been classified as “sudden” by police in the St. Louis suburb of Frontenac. pending the findings of a medical examiner.

Now, federal court records reviewed by DailyMail.com have revealed Sweeney lived in fear of Daus, describing him as “suspected of the murder of a previous girlfriend.”

The woman in question was his fiancée Grace Holland, 35, who was engaged to Daus when she died of a gunshot wound to the head on July 22, 2020, in a death ruled a suicide.

Holland’s family has challenged this finding of “sudden” death and filed a wrongful death lawsuit alleging that Daus is liable for Holland’s death and that he was psychologically and physically abusive.

Dr. Sarah Sweeney, 39, was found dead earlier this month at the home of her fiancé, local fire chief Robert Daus, in suburban St. Louis

DailyMail.com can reveal Sweeney told a friend she lived in fear of Daus, describing him as ‘my friend the killer’

This is the house where Sweeney was found dead earlier this month. Her death has been classified as “sudden” by Frontenac police pending the findings of a medical examiner

Podiatrist Sweeney’s claims emerged in lawsuits that are part of a lawsuit she filed in November 2022 against her former employers Best Foot Forward (BFF) and founder Dr. Franklin Harry.

Sweeney’s claims against her boyfriend emerged in lawsuits that are part of a lawsuit she filed against her former employers Best Foot Forward (BFF) in 2022.

In it, Sweeney, who left BFF to set up her own practice, claims she faced gender discrimination, disability discrimination and sexual harassment, as well as health insurance violations and a lack of compensation for work performed.

BFF and Harry immediately filed a counterclaim presenting Sweeney’s mental and physical health during the relevant period as ‘material issues’.

Lawyers for BFF sought to subpoena several people, including Daus himself and a friend and colleague of Sweeney’s, Danielle Mankunas, to whom Sweeney had allegedly confided details about her personal life.

Attorneys for Sweeney pushed back on these subpoenas, prompting BFF attorney Mark Murphy to file a memorandum in support of his request, which included several pieces of evidence.

Among them is a lengthy email from Sweeney to her friend Mankunas in which she begs her friend to “do what is right in your heart” and support her — even if it means going against her employer.

She wrote: ‘I will probably lose and be embarrassed by him (Harry), and my lawyer will be embarrassed by me, because this paints the picture that I am lying about everything, and that is because you don’t want your job is affected by this. I understand.

“But guess what, Danielle? I’ve been homeless, I’ve had to move in with my ‘killer’ boyfriend which was scary at times, I’ve lost every penny and canceled my savings account, I’ve had trouble finding a job from my past connection with him , I have suffered…I have experienced the ringing.”

In 2020, 35-year-old Grace Holland died of a single gunshot wound to the head at the home of her then-fiancé Robert Daus

Holland’s four daughters from a previous relationship were reportedly afraid of Daus and witnessed numerous violent scenes between him and their mother. Holland is pictured with her daughter Emma

BFF attorney Murphy explained the relevance of seeking all text communications between Mankunas and Sweeney regarding her relationship, as well as email communications stating, “Sweeney’s health – both physical and mental – are key issues in this case. As such, any communications relating to Sweeney’s physical or mental health are directly relevant.”

Sweeney was involved in a lawsuit with her former boss Dr. Franklin Harry for discrimination and health care violations when she wrote the email

He added: “For example, during Sweeney’s employment with BFF, she had a relationship with an individual whom BFF and Harry attempted to serve a summons on, Rob Daubs (sic), who Sweeney alleges was abusive and suspected of the murder on a previous girlfriend.’

In her email, written on March 17, 2022, Sweeney expressed her disappointment that Mankunas would not support her in her fight against BFF and Harry and described her desperate situation after losing her job.

“I understand you want to keep your job, but what about me?” she wrote. ‘What about my work? My license. I’ve lost everything.

‘If you want to let that son of Ab***h win and if you want to support him, no problem. But know that I fought for you.

“There are other jobs in St. Louis, even jobs where you could have more flexible hours – I know that because I know several practices that would hire someone like you.

Sweeney continued: I’m hurt so bad. I know you need your job, especially with the guys, but you’re not the only person who needs to maintain things in your life.

‘I can’t have my car inspected. I lost my car insurance and can’t get it registered in Missouri because it won’t pass inspection if the windshield and headlight are broken.”

Speaking of Harry, she ended the email with the words “He’ll win, I’ll be the crazy one.”

Sweeney’s desperate situation is a chilling echo of the “controlled” and powerless situation Holland’s family claims she found herself in during her four-year relationship with Daus.

Daus was never charged in connection with Holland’s death, which was ruled a suicide by the medical examiner, despite several key factors that, her family say, contradict that finding.

They point out that Holland was right-handed and, as a woman trained to use firearms, had always shot with her dominant hand.

Yet she was shot in the left temple – a feat described by her family as “inconsistent” with a self-inflicted wound and “consistent” with someone standing in front of her shooting her.