The Pacific Northwest has a reputation for the macabre. We’ll never escape the allure of Twin Peaks, for instance, or the terrible crimes of some of the most infamous serial killers in American history.

But some of the weirdest things can happen to corpses after death. Did you know that dead bodies can turn into soap?

Cascade PBS’s resident historian Knute Berger explored a few lesser-known stories of regional murder and mystery in a recent episode of the Mossback’s Northwest video series, but there is much more left to share.

In this episode of Mossback, Berger joins co-host Stephen Hegg to offer a deeper look at the grim tales of Hallie Illingworth, the “Lady of the Lake” whose body was found in Lake Crescent in 1940; “Mother Damnable,” a storied resident of 19th-century Seattle whose corpse allegedly turned to stone; and a recurring recent phenomenon involving disembodied feet washing up on beaches along the Salish Sea.

For more on all things Mossback, visit CascadePBS.org. To reach Knute Berger directly, drop him a line at knute.berger@cascadepbs.org. And if you’d like an exclusive weekly newsletter from Knute, where he offers greater insight into his latest historical discoveries, become a Cascade PBS member today.

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Credits

Hosts: Stephen Hegg, Knute Berger

Producer: Sara Bernard

Story editor: Sarah Menzies

The Strange Things That Happen to Bodies After Death