▁Not ▁long ▁after ▁his ▁appointment , ▁Chief ▁Lee ▁has ▁to ▁investigate ▁the ▁death ▁of ▁a ▁young ▁boy ▁who ▁fell ▁down ▁a ▁rav ine ▁while ▁apparently ▁fle eing ▁an ▁attack ▁that ▁had ▁sexual ▁characteristics . ▁He ▁also ▁disco vers ▁that ▁a ▁number ▁of ▁other ▁young ▁male ▁v agr ants ▁and ▁h itch - h ik ers ▁have ▁been ▁observed ▁travel ing ▁towards ▁Del ano , ▁but ▁have ▁not ▁been ▁seen ▁leaving ▁the ▁area . ▁He ▁is ▁unable ▁to ▁obtain ▁the ▁co operation ▁of ▁Sher iff ▁' S ke eter ' ▁Will is ▁or ▁the ▁police ▁chief s ▁of ▁the ▁neighbor ing ▁count ies , ▁in ▁purs uing ▁his ▁investig ations . ▁ ▁Despite ▁this , ▁Lee ▁disco vers ▁that ▁lon er ▁" F ox y " ▁F under bur ke ▁( Ke ith ▁Car rad ine ) ▁is ▁responsible ▁for ▁the ▁boys ' ▁mur ders , ▁but ▁Lee ▁is ▁mistaken ly ▁shot ▁by ▁a ▁del iri ous ▁man ▁( his ▁former ▁employee ▁J esse ▁Cole ) ▁before ▁he ▁can ▁arrest ▁F under bur ke . ▁ ▁F under bur ke ▁ho vers ▁in ▁the ▁background ▁in ▁the ▁hospital ▁room ▁while ▁the ▁dying ▁Lee ▁tries ▁to ▁g asp ▁out ▁the ▁truth ▁about ▁his ▁gu ilt , ▁but ▁Lee ' s ▁wife ▁fails ▁to ▁understand . ▁Despite ▁the ▁fe ver ish ▁del iri um ▁that ▁caused ▁him ▁to ▁believe ▁that ▁the ▁police ▁chief ▁was ▁trying ▁to ▁kill ▁his ▁son , ▁J esse ▁Cole ▁is ▁executed , ▁but ▁not ▁before ▁ur ging ▁his ▁son ▁Josh ua ▁to