Catherine was born in Las Vegas, where her mother, Lily Flynn, worked as a cocktail waitress and a showgirl. She spent most her of life thinking that her biological father, wealthy casino owner Sam Braun, was only a friend of the family, and she only found out about truth when she was already an adult working as a crime scene investigator. Prior to earning her Bachelor of Science degree in Medical Technology from the University of Las Vegas, Catherine had been employed as an exotic dancer and was, for a short period of time, addicted to cocaine.

Her marriage to the late Eddie Muggs was riddled...