In July 1940, a dark secret broke the mirror-still surface of Washington State’s Lake Crescent. At first, it seemed like nothing out of the ordinary. Yet its contrast against the water soon attracted a pair of fishermen. Motoring closer, they were shocked to find that it was actually a human hand thrusting up from the depths, reaching out as if beckoning to them.

So were the remains of Hallie Illingworth discovered three years after her tragic murder at the hands of her husband. Beyond the obvious interest aroused by any homicide, the case drew national attention for other macabre reasons. First was the eerie image that the discovery conjured up in the minds of newspaper readers; second, the fact that, through a process known as saponification, Illingworth’s body had turned into a soap-like substance.

Finally – perhaps most importantly – the appearance of a body in Lake Crescent was a rarity. Because even though plenty of other victims had been consigned to its frigid depths, Lake Crescent had a reputation for “never giving up her dead”.

Given so many macabre factors, it was only a matter of time before Hallie Illingworth’s murder spawned one of the Pacific Northwest’s most enduring and disturbing legends. In the years since her remains were recovered, Hallie has become known as “The Lady of the Lake”. For more than 80 years, locals have sighted her restless spirit wandering the shores of Lake Crescent, sometimes weeping for the injustices she suffered.

As with most mysteries, the true story is not quite so tidy. A new documentary debuted across all streaming platforms, with a physical media release scheduled for early in 2025.