A series of murders follows the conviction of a man for the rape and murder of a local girl. His threats towards his attorney and the presiding judge are followed shortly by their macabre deaths. Each is found dead, naked but for their shoes, with their head wrapped in a plastic sack. The guilty man is suspected of directing these from his jail cell. However, three additional murders are of people not involved in his trial. Each is slain in an identical manner. All viable suspects are eliminated which results in confusion for the investigators. The possibility of organized mob participation, based on the discovery of drugs and pornography in which the attorney was apparently involved, results in a decision for protective custody of the secretary who found the attorney's body. She is placed in the home of the Police Chief. His son, the lead detective in the case, and the secretary soon develop an interest in one another. The FBI is invited into the case and their help develops to be essential in the identification of the murderer. The involvement of an arsonist proves to be a factor in solving other non-related crimes which the FBI has been tracking for several years. The specific identification of a suspect comes about in an unusual manner. No clues are forthcoming until a break identifies a man from out of state as a possible suspect.