Bio

Paul Leslie Snider was born on April 15, 1951, in Vancouver, British Columbia, to Jewish parents. He grew up in a regular home in the city. As he grew older, he showed an interest in business and making money. Snider became known for his various money-making schemes.

In the mid-1970s, Snider began promoting local models and entertainers. He often worked with aspiring talent to help them gain recognition. One of the models he discovered was Dorothy Stratten. They met in 1977 when she was working at a Dairy Queen in Vancouver. At the time, Stratten was a young woman looking for new opportunities.

Snider helped Stratten by sending her photos to Playboy, and she was accepted as a model for the magazine. In 1979, Stratten became Playboy's "Miss August." Their relationship progressed quickly, and they were married in June of that same year. Stratten's modeling career took off, and she was later named Playboy's Playmate of the Year for 1980.

Despite their early successes, the couple's marriage started to deteriorate. Snider’s controlling behavior and jealousy began to strain their relationship. As Stratten's career advanced, she sought independence. By the summer of 1980, they had separated, and Stratten had started a new relationship with film director Peter Bogdanovich.

Paul Snider's life came to a tragic end on August 14, 1980, but that day marks only the conclusion of his story.

Murder Story

On August 14, 1980, Paul Leslie Snider killed his estranged wife, Dorothy Stratten, in their West Los Angeles apartment. Dorothy was just 20 years old and had risen to fame as a Playboy Playmate. The couple had met in 1977 when Snider promoted her modeling career, but their relationship had seriously deteriorated by that summer. Snider was deeply jealous of Dorothy’s new relationship with film director Peter Bogdanovich.

On the day of the murder, Snider and Stratten met at their former home to discuss a financial settlement regarding their impending divorce. After their meeting, Snider shot Stratten in the face with a shotgun. Just hours later, Snider took his own life with the same weapon. Their friend, Dr. Stephen Kushner, discovered their bodies later that evening.

When authorities investigated, it was found that Stratten died before Snider. This detail allowed Snider's family to claim her estate, as they legally inherited her assets upon her death. The tragic event surrounding their relationship has been dramatized in several films, highlighting the consequences of their troubled and tumultuous life together. Dorothy Stratten is buried at Westwood Memorial Park in Los Angeles, California.