The Former Playboy Playmate Victoria Rathgeb has been sentenced to nine years in jail after pleading no contest to the attempted involuntary manslaughter of her husband. The 66-year-old ex-glamor model admitted in court that she shot Bruce Rathgeb – her husband of 25 years – in the back at their West Hollywood apartment in October 2010.Â
She appeared in Playboy under the name Angela Dorian and also admitted that she used the gun on Bruce, who has since recovered, according to the District Attorney’s Office. Let’s discuss the whole story in this article.
When did Bruce Rathgeb and Victoria Vetri meet?
Bruce Rathgeb and Victoria Vetri (known as Angela Dorian during her Playboy days) first met in a Los Angeles cafe in 1981, where both worked. Bruce worked as a chef while pursuing his passion for music, while Victoria was a highly successful Playboy model who had earned worldwide fame as the 1968 Playmate of the Year. Victoria used to come to the cafe in her 1968 AMC AMX, which was gifted to her as part of her Playmate of the Year.
Moreover, The couple married in 1987, with the ceremony being held at the home of one of Bruce’s fathers in La Jolla, California. But, She and Rathgeb split up in 2016. In April 2018, she was granted freedom and let go.
Why did Victoria Vetri shoot her husband Bruce Rathgeb?
At the time of the incident, Victoria and Bruce Rathgeb had been married for 25 years. The couple fought early in the morning on October 16, 2010, in their West Hollywood apartment.
Victoria allegedly accused Bruce of cheating on her and got extremely angry. As Bruce walked out of their apartment, Victoria reportedly brought a gun and fired a shot straight at him when he was around eight feet away.
As per CBS News, Bruce said he felt a burning sensation and smelled gunpowder. After this, the former actress is said to have put a plastic bag over his mouth and returned to his flat. An injured and unconscious Bruce was taken to the hospital, where he woke up days later. The bullet hit Rathgeb near his heart, which made it hard to remove. However, he reportedly made a full recovery.
The Los Angeles Police Department’s Hollywood Division arrested Victoria Vetri on the same day, and she was kept in custody as the investigation progressed. Vetri was eventually charged with attempted murder.
Bruce said he never cheated on his wife, and this is what he told CBS News:
“Twenty-five years, I have never cheated on my wife. I wasn’t going to listen to that all night. I have been true to her for 25 years, and that’s the truth.”
Apart from Bruce’s testimony, Michael Place, the couple’s neighbor, also testified against Victoria, claiming that he had seen the victim on the floor. As per the publication, he also said that he saw the plastic bag and the bullet barrel outside the building’s elevator.
Where is Victoria Vetri now?
As per CBS News, In 2011, Victoria Vetri admitted to using a firearm and causing bodily harm to her husband. She was ultimately convicted of attempted murder and sentenced to prison for nine years by Los Angeles Superior Court Judge Barbara Johnson.Â
Apart from this sentence, she was also ordered to pay $70,000 to California’s victim restitution fund. As of 2024, Victoria’s whereabouts remain unknown as she has maintained a low profile since her imprisonment.
