Dorothy Stratten (born Dorothy Ruth Hoogstraten) (February 28, 1960 - August 14, 1980) was born in a Salvation Army hospital in Vancouver, British Columbia. She grew up and attended high school in Coquitlam. In 1976 while working part-time in a local Dairy Queen, she met a local promoter named Paul Snider (26) who coaxed her into sending photos to Playboy. Stratten forged her mother's signature on the model release form. In 1979, she became Playboy's Miss August with a name change to Dorothy Stratten. In 1980, she became Playboy's Playmate of the Year.

In June, 1979, she married Paul Snider in Las Vegas, Nevada. Paul began to control her life which eventually resulted in separation and a pending divorce in August, 1980.

Stratten appeared in five movies: non-starring role in:

• Skatetown USA (1979)
• Americathon (1979)
• Autumn Born (1979)
• Galaxina (1980)
• They All Laughed (1981)

She also appeared on television in Fantasy Island, the Cruise Ship to the Stars episode of Buck Rogers in the 25th Century and in 1980 on The Tonight Show.

On August 14, 1980, her estranged husband brutally raped and murdered Stratten in her west Los Angeles apartment, apparently jealous over an affair she was having with Hollywood film director Peter Bogdanovich. Snider committed suicide shortly thereafter in the same apartment. Stratten's tragic story was portrayed in the film Star 80 (1983).

Bogdanovich wrote a book about her titled The Killing of the Unicorn . He later married her sister, Louise. They later divorced in 2001

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