Join us as we unravel the tragic and mysterious case of Mary Cecilia Rogers, the 19th-century "Cigar Girl" whose beauty captivated New York City and whose death sparked a media frenzy. From her rise as a local icon to the chilling discovery of her body, we explore the theories, suspects, and cultural impact of this unsolved crime—including its influence on Edgar Allan Poe's detective fiction. Dive into the gritty streets of 1840s Manhattan for a tale of intrigue, scandal, and enduring mystery.

Source Materials

Possible Solutions — The Murder Mystery of Mary Rogers — Crime Library

Edgar Allan Poe Tried and Failed to Crack the Mysterious Murder Case of Mary Rogers | Smithsonian

The Murder of the “Beautiful Cigar Girl” Crime Magazine

Mary Rogers: A Sensational 1841 Murder - geriwalton.com

Murder by Gaslight: Mary Rogers, the Beautiful Cigar Girl

The Mysterious Murder of ‘Cigar Girl’ Mary Rogers, 1841 -

The Unsolved Murder That Fascinated 1840s New York (and Edgar Allan Poe)