US Coastguardsman Ricky Dale Hemphill and companion Charla Toma set out for a picnic along a river near Brookings, Oregon in the fall of 1979. A day later Ricky is found murdered and Charla is missing. A tip from a local hunter leads police to Edward Delen Warren, a former convict in the area trying to set up a religious retreat. What police uncover is a bizarre plot that will soon spiral out of control.