The house where Dorothy Stratten was murdered

This is the house where Dorothy Stratten was murdered.

It is situated at 10881 Clarkson Road in Los Angeles, California.

At the time of the murder, the house was being rented by her estranged husband, Paul Snider.

Stratten was a Canadian Playboy model and aspiring actress who had recently starred in the sci-fi comedy film Galaxina (1980).

Her husband was a nightclub promoter, pimp, and schemer who was constantly looking for ways to get rich quick.

The pair met in 1977, when Snider was 26 and Stratten was just 17.

Snider, who was clearly undeterred by the age gap, soon realized that the teenager was his meal ticket. Shortly after they met, he convinced her to take part in a risqué photoshoot so that he could send her photographs to Playboy and collect the $1,000 finder's fee.

Although her friends reportedly warned her about Snider's behavior, she decided to stick by his side.

Stratten's career steadily drifted upward after she was selected as a "Playmate of the Month" in 1979.

The couple tied the knot in June 1979. However, their marriage did not last long.

In March 1980, Snider remained behind in Los Angeles while Stratten flew to New York City to film the romantic comedy movie "They All Laughed."

While she was on the east coast, she began an affair with director Peter Bogdanovich.

By the summer of 1980, she had decided to end things with Snider. Soon after that, she sent him a letter and informed him that they were officially separated.

Snider was furious. After wiping out their bank account and selling some of her Playboy prizes, he hired a private detective to tail her and gather evidence about her infidelities.

When Stratten finally returned to Los Angeles and met with him in person, she admitted that she had fallen for another man. Despite being visibly heartbroken, he seemingly accepted that their marriage was over. He even agreed to negotiate a financial settlement.

On August 14th, 1980, Snider lured Stratten to this address under the pretense of settling their divorce. Although the 20-year-old knew that her lawyers could handle the negotiations, she decided to meet him face-to-face, as she still hoped that they could remain friends.

Unbeknownst to her, Snider had been flirting with the idea of killing her ever since she flew back from New York. On one occasion, he had even waited outside her new lover's house with a handgun for several hours. However, he eventually gave up when he saw no signs of activity.

At around 12.30 p.m., Stratten arrived at this house on Clarkson Road, hoping to come to an amicable agreement. Meanwhile, Snider's roommates left so that they could have some privacy.

Later that evening, their naked bodies were discovered in Snider's bedroom. Stratten had been raped and shot in the face with a shotgun.

The police were unable to determine if the rape had occurred before or after the shooting.

Roughly one hour after murdering his estranged wife, Snider put the gun to his head and committed suicide.

Photos

Photos of the house and other related images.

10881 Clarkson Road

This Google Street View image of 10881 Clarkson Road was taken in August 2022.

The photo on the left shows Dorothy Stratten and Paul Snider on their wedding day.

They were both from Vancouver, Canada.

In 1977, Snider returned to Vancouver after his attempts at becoming a pimp in Los Angeles ended in failure. Shortly afterwards, he met Stratten, who was working at a local ice cream store.

From that point on, he lavished her with gifts and groomed her.

In the past, he had unsuccessfully tried to promote other girls as potential Playboy playmates.

On the first night that they met, he allegedly told a friend that Stratten could make him a lot of money.

The naive teenager lacked a father figure, as her dad had left when she was just three years old. Throughout her childhood, her family struggled to make ends meet.

Snider, who was nine years her senior, quickly inserted himself into her life by buying her clothes and acting as her mentor.

Then and now

This is a "then and now" image of the house. It was built in 1979—one year before the murder-suicide.

The bodies were found after Snider's private detective became concerned about the lack of communication.

Knowing that the meeting was due to happen at noon, he had called the house a number of times that afternoon and received no answer. He was also aware that his client had recently tried to purchase a handgun.

At roughly 11 p.m., he instructed one of the roommates to enter the bedroom.

The roommate in question later said that he felt a sense of foreboding as he walked towards the room. That evening, his German Shepherd dog seemed on edge, whining and pacing around the yard behind Snider's bedroom.

Aerial image

The house is close to where the I-10 passes over Westwood Boulevard. It is to the north of Westdale.