Small Town Mysteries

Mary Rogers & The Invention of True Crime

May 09, 2023 Kate, Christine, and Rachael Episode 49
Small Town Mysteries
Mary Rogers & The Invention of True Crime
Show Notes

In this case, we bring it allll the way back to the 1830s/40s to talk about the unsolved case of Mary Rogers. This case was a major catalyst for the start of the True Crime genre. Mary herself was a sort of a "reality celebrity" in town, with many people traveling to the tobacco store she worked at for the sole purpose of getting to see her. Mary had a suspicious disappearance in 1838, though this was only for several days. Three years later, though, Mary's body is found near Sybil's Cave in Hoboken, New Jersey. 
The case spread so wildly that Edgar Allen Poe even wrote a short story about it, and attempted to crack the case himself. 
There's some twists and turns in this one, so buckle up!

Sources:
1) https://portal.ct.gov/DPH/Epidemiology-and-Emerging-Infections/A-Brief-History-of-Lyme-Disease-in-Connecticut 
2) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mary_Rogers
3) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Great_Moon_Hoax 
4) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X9Jqp7xVStE 
5) https://www.smithsonianmag.com/history/edgar-allan-poe-tried-and-failed-to-crack-the-mysterious-murder-case-of-mary-rogers-7493607/ 

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