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When a 9-year-old girl failed to return home from school in 1910 Asbury Park, N.J., a local reporter became convinced of a Black man's guilt -- putting that man's life in danger even before an arrest was made in the case. The confounding unraveling of the murder of Marie Smith would not only shock the small town and make headlines nationwide, but it would employ a new type of detective work that had rarely been attempted before -- or since.

As actress Rebecca Schaeffer rushed around her apartment to ready for the biggest audition of her career, a disturbed young man was pacing the street below, armed with a gun. Schaeffer's senseless death in 1989 would not only shock the nation, but it would also be the catalyst for the country's first anti-stalking laws.

"Crimes of the Centuries" is a new podcast from the Obsessed Network exploring forgotten crimes from times past that made a mark and helped change history.

Follow us on Instagram and Twitter: @centuriespod

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