The Killing of the Unicorn
Peter Bogdanovich
A book-length account for readers who want more detail.
1980 · Los Angeles, California
Dorothy Stratten
Fame, money & betrayal
Photo credit
Associated Press / Syracuse Herald-Journal, 30 April 1980 · Public domain (U.S.). Cropped/resized.Photographs are cropped to fit. Photo dates and original images are available through the source credits.
Dorothy Stratten, a model and actress beginning a film career, was killed in 1980 by her estranged husband Paul Snider, who then killed himself. Books, reporting, and dramatizations have examined his controlling behavior and the pressures surrounding her rise to fame.
EXPLORE THE CASE
The Story
When1980
WhereLos Angeles, California
In this collection33 resources
Start here.
Choose a book, screen story or audio episode from this case’s collection.
Death of a Centerfold: The Dorothy Stratten Story — U.S. viewing options
JustWatch · U.S. viewing guide
A dramatized interpretation; compare it with the reporting.
Hollywoodland — Dorothy Stratten
Apple Podcasts
An audio option for exploring this case while listening.
As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. Amazon buttons marked “paid link” may earn us a commission. Affiliate disclosure
Where are they now?
No reviewed items have been added to this section yet.
Nicknames & media names
No reviewed items have been added to this section yet.
EXPLORE THE CASE
Blogs & Essays
Read our articles here and explore outside perspectives, credited to their writers and publications. See this case in the Journal →
From the journal
No reviewed items have been added to this section yet.
Blogs & essays
2 itemsAbout these sources
Outside essays and reading guides reflect their authors’ perspectives. Compare claims with reported and primary sources.
moviesoftheeighties · Substack · Blog / essay
Dorothy Stratten Was Murdered in 1980: And then Her Life Was Taken
An outside blog or essay discussing Dorothy Stratten. Read the author’s analysis alongside the dated reporting and court sources in this case guide. Some publishers require a subscription.
Outside CommentaryAccess Varies · Check Source
Link Check PendingReport a Link (Email)
najet · Substack · Blog / essay
On the Death of Dorothy Stratten
An outside blog or essay discussing Dorothy Stratten. Read the author’s analysis alongside the dated reporting and court sources in this case guide. Some publishers require a subscription.
Outside CommentaryAccess Varies · Check Source
Link Check PendingReport a Link (Email)
EXPLORE THE CASE
Books
CONTINUE YOUR READING
Search this case on Amazon · paid linkSearch results may include unrelated titles. Check the author, edition, and case connection before purchasing.
Explore Reading & Streaming Options · Our case guides are free.
As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. Amazon buttons marked “paid link” may earn us a commission. Affiliate disclosure
Books
1 itemsPeter Bogdanovich
The Killing of the Unicorn
Book-length account or personal perspective. This link provides bibliographic details; compare the author’s account with reporting and records.
BookCatalog / Availability
Last Checked: · Access may changeReport a Link (Email)
Search Amazon · paid linkExplore this book
Title search; Amazon availability is not confirmed. Check the edition, format, and viewing region.
EXPLORE THE CASE
Movies & TV
Movies
2 itemsAbout these sources
Watch links, previews and title listings are identified below. Rentals or subscriptions may be required.
JustWatch · U.S. viewing guide
Death of a Centerfold: The Dorothy Stratten Story — U.S. viewing options
Dramatized screen account. Follow the link for the title listing or available viewing options; scenes and dialogue may be adapted.
Fiction / DramatizationAccess Varies · Check Source
Link Check PendingReport a Link (Email)
Search Amazon · paid linkViewing options & film details
Title search; Amazon availability is not confirmed. Check the edition, format, and viewing region.
IMDb · Screen title
Dorothy Stratten: The Untold Story (1985)
IMDb title reference connected to the Dorothy Stratten case. Listed release: 1985. Cast, credits, and title information; viewing availability is separate.
Screen TitleTitle Details · Not Playback
Link Check PendingReport a Link (Email)
Search Amazon · paid linkCredits & title details on IMDb
Title search; Amazon availability is not confirmed. Check the edition, format, and viewing region.
TV & documentaries
2 itemsAbout these sources
Episodes, documentaries and title listings. Season and episode numbers follow the linked catalog and can differ by service. Air dates are separate from crime dates. Playback availability varies by service and region.
IMDb · TV episode
Biography — Dorothy Stratten (2005)
IMDb episode reference connected to the Dorothy Stratten case. Listed release: 2005. Cast, credits, and title information; viewing availability is separate.
Screen TitleTitle Details · Not Playback
Link Check PendingReport a Link (Email)
Search Amazon · paid linkCredits & title details on IMDb
Title search; Amazon availability is not confirmed. Check the edition, format, and viewing region.
ABC · 2019 catalog, Episode 29 · Listed air date 2019-10-18
20/20 — The Death of a Playmate
Includes coverage of Dorothy Stratten.
Screen TitleAccess Varies · Check Source
Link Check PendingReport a Link (Email)
Search Amazon · paid linkEpisode details on TVmaze
Title search; Amazon availability is not confirmed. Check the edition, format, and viewing region.
Episode data: TVmaze · CC BY-SA 4.0
EXPLORE THE CASE
Audiobooks
An audiobook edition has not been confirmed for this case yet. You can check the audiobook catalog or explore the case’s podcasts.
Check Audio Formats For This Book
These books are in this case’s collection. An audiobook version has not been verified for the listings below.
The Killing of the Unicorn
Search Audiobook Editions · paid linkPeter Bogdanovich
As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. Amazon buttons marked “paid link” may earn us a commission. Affiliate disclosure
EXPLORE THE CASE
Fiction Work
Fiction Work
Browse all →Scripted stories and fictional inspirations. Scenes, characters, and dialogue can differ from the record.
JustWatch · U.S. viewing guide
Death of a Centerfold: The Dorothy Stratten Story — U.S. viewing options
Dramatized screen account. Follow the link for the title listing or available viewing options; scenes and dialogue may be adapted.
Fiction / DramatizationAccess Varies · Check Source
Link Check PendingReport a Link (Email)
Search Amazon · paid linkViewing options & film details
Title search; Amazon availability is not confirmed. Check the edition, format, and viewing region.
EXPLORE THE CASE
Podcasts
Podcasts
15 itemsAbout these sources
Audio episodes and oral histories. Personal recollections are attributed perspectives; some services require sign-in.
Apple Podcasts
Hollywoodland — Dorothy Stratten
Direct episode page for this case or its screen adaptation. Open it for listening options and the publisher’s episode notes.
PodcastAccess Varies · Check Source
Link Check PendingReport a Link (Email)
Horrorwood: True Crime in Tinseltown
The Gruesome Murder of Dorothy Stratten
Podcast coverage of the Dorothy Stratten case. Released January 9, 2023. About 74 minutes.
PodcastAccess Varies · Check Source
Link Check PendingReport a Link (Email)
Killer Psyche
Paul Snider & the Murder of Dorothy Stratten
Podcast coverage of the Dorothy Stratten case. Released February 10, 2026. About 45 minutes.
PodcastAccess Varies · Check Source
Link Check PendingReport a Link (Email)
Morbid
The Horrific Murder of Dorothy Stratten
Podcast coverage of the Dorothy Stratten case. Released December 4, 2020. About 70 minutes.
PodcastAccess Varies · Check Source
Link Check PendingReport a Link (Email)
Crimes of the Centuries
Dorothy Stratten: A Playmate Murdered
Podcast coverage of the Dorothy Stratten case. Released March 20, 2023. About 38 minutes.
PodcastAccess Varies · Check Source
Link Check PendingReport a Link (Email)
This Is Monsters
The Story of Paul Snider : The Murder of Dorothy Stratten
Podcast coverage of the Dorothy Stratten case. Released April 14, 2021. About 17 minutes.
PodcastAccess Varies · Check Source
Link Check PendingReport a Link (Email)
Show 9 more podcasts
Murder With My Husband
177. Dorothy Stratten - The PlayBoy Bunny Murder
Podcast coverage of the Dorothy Stratten case. Released August 14, 2023. About 42 minutes.
PodcastAccess Varies · Check Source
Link Check PendingReport a Link (Email)
Truly Criminal
The Slaying Of A Star: Dorothy Stratten - TC Podcast Exclusive
Podcast coverage of the Dorothy Stratten case. Released March 3, 2024. About 31 minutes.
PodcastAccess Varies · Check Source
Link Check PendingReport a Link (Email)
Moms and Mysteries: A True Crime Podcast
The Murder of Dorothy Stratten
Podcast coverage of the Dorothy Stratten case. Released February 1, 2022. About 65 minutes.
PodcastAccess Varies · Check Source
Link Check PendingReport a Link (Email)
Red Room
Playboy Murders: The Tragic Stories of Paige Young & Dorothy Stratten
Podcast coverage of the Dorothy Stratten case. Released April 1, 2024. About 44 minutes.
PodcastAccess Varies · Check Source
Link Check PendingReport a Link (Email)
Hollywood Horrors
Dorothy Stratten: Beauty, Obsession, and Murder
Podcast coverage of the Dorothy Stratten case. Released September 14, 2026. About 26 minutes.
PodcastAccess Varies · Check Source
Link Check PendingReport a Link (Email)
Hitched 2 Homicide
The Playboy Playmate Murder: Dorothy Stratten
Podcast coverage of the Dorothy Stratten case. Released September 20, 2023. About 72 minutes.
PodcastAccess Varies · Check Source
Link Check PendingReport a Link (Email)
Based in Fact
Episode 8 - The Murder of Dorothy Stratten
Podcast coverage of the Dorothy Stratten case. Released April 11, 2022. About 127 minutes.
PodcastAccess Varies · Check Source
Link Check PendingReport a Link (Email)
Death In Entertainment
Episode 181: The Rise and Ruin of Dorothy Stratten
Podcast coverage of the Dorothy Stratten case. Released October 24, 2025. About 50 minutes.
PodcastAccess Varies · Check Source
Link Check PendingReport a Link (Email)
Facing Evil
Dorothy Stratten
Podcast coverage of the Dorothy Stratten case. Released March 2, 2023. About 35 minutes.
PodcastAccess Varies · Check Source
Link Check PendingReport a Link (Email)
EXPLORE THE CASE
Social Media
BRING YOUR PERSPECTIVE
Where would you start?
Choose your reading route, then share a question with your community.
Your choice stays on this page. No vote is submitted or counted.
Talk about sources and storytelling with care for the people affected. A documentary, a book and a court record serve different purposes.
EXPLORE THE CASE
News & Reading
More Reading & Audio
2 sourcesExplore book records, previews, library audiobooks and selected documents. Access labels distinguish free material from library loans and paid subscriptions.
Open Library · Catalog / Availability
The killing of the unicorn by Peter Bogdanovich
Bibliographic record for related reading. Check the edition page for previews, lending and other access options; full text has not been confirmed.
View Catalog & Access Options ↗Last Checked: · Access may changeReport a Link (Email)
Google Books · Catalog / Availability
The Killing of the Unicorn
Related book record. Google may offer selected pages or another edition; full-book access is not confirmed.
View Catalog & Access Options ↗Last Checked: · Access may changeReport a Link (Email)
Reading Access Notes
Search reviewed 2026-09-16. Sources searched: Google Books, Internet Archive, Open Library, Library of Congress, Smithsonian Magazine, The Atavist Magazine, Google Books (case/title search), Scribd, Everand, OverDrive and hoopla (combined title search). Search indexing is incomplete; this is not an exhaustive list of the web. Access can change by edition, country and library membership. Library loans may require sign-in or a wait. Everand titles may need a paid subscription; a trial is not permanent free access. Scribd documents are third-party uploads, with uploader details noted where checked. We link to source pages and write our own descriptions rather than reproducing copyrighted books.
A separate Texas Monthly search was blocked by the publisher’s automated-access rules and could not be verified.
News & reporting
1 itemsThe Washington Post
Reporting on Dorothy Stratten
Linked reporting or commentary. Read the source date for its historical context; access may require a subscription.
JournalismAccess Varies · Check Source
Link Check PendingReport a Link (Email)
Newspaper clippings
2 itemsFeatured newspaper clipping
Read our original summary below. The archive link opens the newspaper’s own clipping viewer.
Fort Lauderdale News · 1981-07-17 · Page 81
Television dramatizes Stratten’s life
A report from a television-film production examines the industry’s treatment of Dorothy Stratten’s story.
Production coverage and criticism of dramatization.
Newspaper ReportingAccess Varies · Check Source
Link Check PendingReport a Link (Email)
Read the original at Newspapers.com. Access and subscription requirements are set by the archive.
Open full clipping at Newspapers.comMore from the newspaper archive
Continue with these dated reports on Newspapers.com.
Philadelphia Daily News · 1983-11-17 · Page 47
Judith Rossner examines Star 80
The novelist reviews Bob Fosse’s film and compares its portrayal with published accounts of Stratten’s life.
Film criticism; a continued article with the writer’s interpretations.
Read this article on Newspapers.comKeep following the newspaper trail.
Search original reporting, follow the trial, and compare how newspapers covered the case over time.
Explore more on Newspapers.comNewspapers.com controls access to its archive. A subscription may be required; existing subscribers can sign in.
Internet Archive
2 itemsAbout these sources
Library records and preserved media. A catalog listing does not guarantee full reading or playback.
Internet Archive · Library record · 1984
The killing of the unicorn : Dorothy Stratten (1960-1980)
Bogdanovich, Peter, 1939-. A library catalog record for a book connected with Dorothy Stratten. The record may offer a preview or borrowing options; full reading access is not guaranteed.
Archive ResourceAccess Varies · Check Source
Link Check PendingReport a Link (Email)
Internet Archive · TV News Archive
20/20 : KGO : October 18, 2019 9:00pm-11:00pm PDT
The archive indexes this broadcast under Dorothy Stratten. It may contain several stories; use any available captions or previews to locate the relevant segment. Full playback may be restricted.
Archive ResourceAccess Varies · Check Source
Link Check PendingReport a Link (Email)
EXPLORE THE CASE
Court & Files
Court records & documents
0 itemsAbout these sources
Documents are labeled by type and scope. Allegations in filings are not findings of guilt. This collection is not the complete case file.
EXPLORE THE CASE
Roads Traveled
Roads Traveled
Open case map →Los Angeles, California. The map provides regional context; individually verified historical places are listed below.
Where this story happened
Los Angeles, California
Highlighted states show regional context, not exact addresses. Ontario and regions outside the contiguous U.S. are listed by name.
Explore the interactive case atlas →Boundaries: Natural Earth · public domain
Location research & source notes
Map sources checked September 14, 2026. 1 individual Odd Stops location pages matched this case.
See this case’s source review
- Odd Stops
- Location pages found · 1 location pages. Read the location summaries in our place guides; photographs appear where reuse rights are verified.
- MurderData
- No verified match found.
- ArcGIS essay
- Not included in this essay.
- Reddit map
- Reviewed as a general resource. Its coordinates and victim counts were not adopted as case evidence.
“No verified match” describes the accessible material found in this review, not proof that a source has never covered the case. MAP’s anonymous records were not individually matched to people.
See the full case checklist →Dorothy Stratten murder location
Private property10881 Clarkson Road, Los Angeles, California
Dorothy Stratten was killed here in 1980. Her estranged husband, Paul Snider, was renting the property at the time.
Historical reference only. No tour or public entry has been verified; respect residents and do not contact occupants.
Explore This Place →EXPLORE THE CASE
Positive Outcome
Positive Outcome
0 itemsAbout these sources
Documented laws, advocacy and reforms. Listing a change does not claim it is effective or universally supported.
No case-specific reform has been verified for this collection yet.
Social Media
6 itemsAbout these sources
Case-specific posts, videos and communities. Community opinions are separate from verified reporting. Platforms may require sign-in.
Dr. Todd Grande
Playmate Homicide | Dorothy Stratten Case Analysis
Video from Dr. Todd Grande covering the Dorothy Stratten case. Length: 15:11.
Link Check PendingReport a Link (Email)
ABC News
The tragic death of Playboy Playmate Dorothy Stratten l ABC News
Video from ABC News covering the Dorothy Stratten case. Length: 3:26.
Link Check PendingReport a Link (Email)
A&E
Legacy & Tragic Death of Dorothy Stratten | Secrets of Playboy | Mondays at 9pm on A&E
Video from A&E covering the Dorothy Stratten case. Length: 1:27.
Link Check PendingReport a Link (Email)
ABC News
The Death of a Playmate l 20/20 l PART 1
Video from ABC News covering the Dorothy Stratten case. Length: 11:12.
Link Check PendingReport a Link (Email)
ABC News
The Death of a Playmate l 20/20 l PART 4
Video from ABC News covering the Dorothy Stratten case. Length: 8:55.
Link Check PendingReport a Link (Email)
Reddit · r/TrueCrimeDiscussion
Discussion: Dorothy Stratten, who was murdered by her soon-to-be ex husband in 1980. When asked why she married him, she said "I didn't see…
Public community discussion connected to Dorothy Stratten. Posts and comments are reader perspectives, not independently verified reporting.
Link Check PendingReport a Link (Email)