Paul Snider & the Murder of Dorothy Stratten
Killer Psyche
Audible | Treefort Media
4.6 • 4.5K Ratings
🗓️ 10 February 2026
⏱️ 46 minutes
🧾️ Download transcript
Summary
Retired FBI agent and criminal profiler Candice DeLong dives into the devastating murder of Playboy model and rising star Dorothy Stratten by her estranged husband, Paul Snider, in 1980. As Dorothy’s career took off, Snider’s sense of insecurity and resentment grew, giving way to increasingly erratic and concerning behavior. And when Dorothy moved to reclaim her autonomy and step out from under his influence, Snider’s desperation turned violent. Candice explores how obsession, entitlement, and possessive rage culminated in the tragic killing of a young woman on the brink of stardom.
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Transcript
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| 0:00.0 | A listener note, this episode contains adult content and is not suitable for everyone. Please be advised. |
| 0:13.8 | Released in 1983, the film Star 80 tells a cautionary story about ambition, obsession, and the price of fame. |
| 0:29.6 | It follows a beautiful young woman rising fast in the ranks of Hollywood, and a man who believes that he has full control of not just her success, |
| 0:41.5 | but her body, her money, her love, and her autonomy. |
| 0:47.8 | Star 80 is an unsettling watch, to say the very least, but the darkest part of the film cannot be found in its one |
| 0:56.7 | hour and 43-minute runtime. It is found in the real-life tragedy that it portrays. The murder |
| 1:04.7 | of Dorothy Stratton. Before the headlines, Dorothy was a regular teenager with a bright smile and big dreams. |
| 1:14.7 | She became a star almost overnight, speeding through the ranks of Playboy stardom and building an acting career. |
| 1:23.8 | Meanwhile, the man who had discovered her, Paul Snyder struggled to accept that her life was no longer his to manage. |
| 1:34.3 | Paul did not see Dorothy as a partner. |
| 1:36.9 | He saw her as a possession, a project, a money-making machine. |
| 1:43.0 | And when he felt that his control over her was slipping, he made a |
| 1:48.1 | fatal decision. If Dorothy could not be his, he would take her from the world. |
| 2:35.5 | From Wondery and Treefort Media, I'm Candace D. Long, and an FBI profiler and psychiatric nurse. |
| 2:40.8 | I've interviewed countless murderers, including many serial killers. |
| 2:43.6 | Why did they do it? |
| 2:50.0 | To get a satisfying answer, we have to dive deep into their minds so that I can give you my best analysis of what made them do |
| 2:53.1 | what they did. This episode is Paul Snyder, the murder of Dorothy Stratton. |
| 3:05.2 | Before she was a Playboy playmate and actress on the rise, Dorothy Stratton was Dorothy Hoogstratten, |
| 3:12.9 | one of three children born to Dutch immigrants in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. |
| 3:19.0 | Following her father's departure from the family, Dorothy's mother struggled financially. |
| 3:26.2 | To help support her family, Dorothy's mother struggled financially. To help support her family, |
... |
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