When Sheriff Jimmy Ray Johnson of the small town of Indian Head, Utah, is confronted with the grisly murder of a small girl, of the same age and description, as his own little girl, and finds to his great concern, that it is only of a string of killings, across the country, associated with a valentine card, flowers, and the name Julie, he begins a determined search for the murderer. With the help of the FBI and his two young deputies, he tries to sort out the clues left by the killer. Why are these small girls, with names similar to Julie being selected to die? Jimmy Ray complies a meager list of suspects, including an out of state, shoe salesman, the new high school teacher, the local town drunk, and a retired bus driver, from Los Angeles, who has returned to his old family farm house to live. One of the young deputies, handsome Native American, Ben Begay, unwittingly begins a romance with the niece of a suspect, and things become even more complicated. When his own little daughter, Junie is kidnapped like her play mate, Judy Jennings, the sheriff fears the worst, and the search erupts into high gear. The question is, will Jimmy Ray find the identity of the killer in time to stop this monster from committing another heinous crime, and save his own little girlâs life?