The Playboy Murders: Who was Dorothy Stratten and what happened to her?

The 1980 Playmate of the Year, Dorothy Stratten, was reportedly killed by her ex-husband and manager, Paul Snider, in August 1980. Stratten made a name for herself in the world of entertainment and had finished filming Peter Bogdanovich's They All Laughed when she was shot to death with a 12-gauge shotgun, as per ABC News.

Stratten was "discovered" by a local club promoter, Paul Snider, in 1977 and he reportedly convinced her to do a nude photoshoot, as per ABC News. This was the same year Playboy launched its Great Playmate Hunt and Snider sent her pictures to the company.

Her romance with Bogdanovich, which bloomed during the filming of They All Laughed in 1980, infuriated Snider and he reportedly r*ped Stratten, shot her to death, and then ended his life on August 14, 1980.

The Playboy Murders season 2 episode 2 titled Falling Star will shed light on Dorothy Stratten's death as it airs on February 26, 2024, at 10 pm EST on Investigation Discovery. The synopsis reads:

"A 19-year-old is discovered in Canada; after becoming 'Playmate of the Year,' her husband sees dollar signs, but as her star rises, she's drawn to another man; afraid of losing his meal ticket, her husband shoots them in their home."

Trigger warning: This article contains mentions of assault and self-harm. Readers' discretion is advised.

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Who was Dorothy Stratten? Details explored

Dorothy Stratten was born on February 28, 1960, to parents Simon and Nelly Hoogstraten in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. At the age of 17, Stratten was working at a Dairy Queen when she was spotted by the 26-year-old club promoter Paul Snider.

According to a report by ABC News, Snider would work as a promoter for automobile and cycle shows and would make money on the side by pimping girls. Snider reportedly groomed Dorothy, promised her expensive gifts, and took her to her high school prom at Centennial High School.

As the American author Teresa Carpenter wrote in her Pulitzer Prize-winning Village Voice cover story of 1980, Snider convinced Stratten to shoot a couple of nude photographs, which he sent in for the 1978 Great Playmate Hunt.

Dorothy Stratten was quickly noticed by Playboy magazine's former West Coast photo editor, Marilyn Grabowski, who flew her down to Los Angeles for test shots. As she moved to Los Angeles, Snider followed suit and the two then got married in June 1979. Stratten was then named Miss August 1979 and was also working as a Door Bunny at the Playboy Club in Century City, Los Angeles.

Stratten was slowly introduced to exclusive parties in Hollywood. She landed minor roles in television series including Buck Rogers in the 25th Century and Fantasy Island. She also featured in titles like Skatetown, U.S.A., Americathon, and Autumn Born.

She was then introduced to Peter Bogdanovich a few months after she moved to Los Angeles with Snider, as per The Washington Post.

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What happened to Dorothy Stratten?

Peter Bogdanovich and Stratten went on to form a romantic connection when she was cast as Dolores Martin opposite John Ritter in They All Laughed in 1980. Dorothy had reportedly written to Paul Snider informing him of her wish to separate from him in July 1980.

In a fit of rage, Snider attempted shooting at Bogdanovich's house, and sourced a 12-gauge shotgun from classified ads, the Village Voice reported. Stratten later returned from the New York shoot of They All Laughed and decided to negotiate a settlement with Snider. She paid him a visit at the West Los Angeles home she shared with him and two other housemates - Stephen Cushner and Patti Laurman.

Cushner and Laurman returned home to find both Stratten and Snider's car parked outside in the evening. As they checked Snider's bedroom at around 11 pm, they found the estranged couple naked and shot to death. According to ABC News, Snider r*ped Dorothy Stratten and shot her in the face with a 12-gauge shotgun before he turned the gun on himself.

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Dorothy Stratten's death inspired the 1981 Jamie Lee Curtis-starrer Death of a Centerfold: The Dorothy Stratten Story, the 1983 feature film Star 80, and Hulu's Welcome to Chippendales.