NEED TO KNOW

Mary Cecilia Rogers, 20, known as New York's "Beautiful Cigar Girl," vanished in July 1841 and was found dead in the Hudson River days later

A handkerchief with her initials and rumors of a botched abortion fueled speculation about her mysterious death

Edgar Allan Poe reimagined her case in "The Mystery of Marie Rogêt," his only true-crime detective story

When the body of 20-year-old Mary Rogers was found in the Hudson River in 1841, New Yorkers were transfixed. Known citywide as the “Beautiful Cigar Girl,” Mary’s mysterious death set off a media frenzy — and later captivated Edgar Allan Poe, who made her case the basis for his only true-crime detective story.

Mary Cecilia Rogers was, by all accounts, a phenomenon. The daughter of a widowed boardinghouse keeper, Mary move

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