With striking beauty, undeniable charisma, and promising talent, Dorothy Stratten quickly rose to fame with her works in Playboy magazine. The actress had a photogenic appeal that endeared her audiences, but her life was cut short by her ex-husband who felt sidelined after her success. The Playboy Murders is a docu-series that showcases to its viewers the tragic and disturbing insight of the murder that will surely send shivers down your spine.
The Playboy Murders looks back into the tragic end of the actresses who were once associated with Playboy. The episode which airs on ID tells the gruesome end of Dorothy Stratten, the Playmate of the Year in 1980 who was brutally murdered by her ex-husband It will share chills down your spine.
TRIGGER WARNING
The Playboy Murders Delves Into The Horrifying Murder of Dorothy Stratten by Her Ex-Husband
In the episode of The Playboy Murders, the episode titled Falling Star will showcase the story of Dorothy Stratten, Playboy’s Playmate of the Year in 1980, who was killed by her ex-husband and manager, Paul Snider. Following his heartless act he committed suicide. Even to this day, this murder remains the most horrifying incident that sends a cold shiver in pop culture.
Dorothy Stratten was first brought into recognition by Paul Snider, a local club promoter and a pimp in 1977 when she was working part-time at a local Dairy Queen. As per ABC, Snider soon started grooming her after he convinced her to do a n*de photoshoot, which started her career in Los Angeles. This was the same year, that is, 1978 when Playboy launched its Great Playmate Hunt, and Paul Snider sent her pictures to the company.
The pictures impressed Hugh Hefner and others at Playboy who believed Dorothy Stratten showcased massive potential and gave her the title of Miss August 1979. Paul Snider allegedly showered her with gifts and pampered her while she was still a teenager and he was 26 years old. Following her Miss August title in 1979, she became a known face in Hollywood’s important circles.
The couple got married in June 1979, soon she started getting films in Hollywood. However, success came to her after she was crowned as the Playmate of the Year in 1980 and landed a prominent role in the sci-fi film Galaxina. Soon she met Peter Bogdanovich, who proposed to give her a role in They All Laughed, which was meant to be the big break she deserved.
Paul Snider Brutally Murdered Dorothy Strotten in His House
After the film was released in 1981, Bogdanovich allegedly said during an interview with Good Morning America in 1985 that he and Dorothy Stratten loved each other and confessed that he was “madly in love” with her. It was reported that Stratten had asked for a divorce and this made Paul Snider could not control her according to his will, making him desperate.
On 14 August 1980, she went over to the house once shared by her ex-husband to settle the terms of their divorce. However, Snider was furious with his ex-spouse, as he mercilessly r*ped her, before he shot her in the face with a 12-gauge shotgun before turning the gun on himself. Dorothy Stratten was 20 years old when the horrifying incident took place.
Both bodies were not found till 12:30 AM, 15 August 1980, the authorities described the crime scene as something coming right from a staged horror film, with mannequins covered in fake blood. The scene was so striking “that never goes away, a mental picture that’s stuck in here forever.” Both Peter Bogdanovich and Hugh Hefner were devastated by the loss of the 20-year-old actress in a tragic and gruesome act.
The Playboy Murders can be streamed on Max.
