The Majorettes

The killer begins by attacking pregnant Nicole Hendricks and her male acquaintance Tommy Harvack; both are murdered. Nicole's body is found on the shore of a creek, establishing the crime scene. The killings seem to target members of the majorette squad as a grim prelude to a supposed rite of saving their souls.

The local sheriff teams up with a federal agent to investigate the string of grisly deaths. They search for connections among the victims and examine possible patterns in the school’s majorette cohort. The investigation tightens as more girls fall prey to a killer who seems to target youths.

Barbara, another majorette, is found dead in her swimming pool. Investigators note the water motif and speculate it could symbolize baptismal purification. The pattern of water-associated deaths deepens the sense of ritualistic murder.

Detective Roland Martell is carrying on an affair with Nicole's friend Marie Morgan. The relationship complicates the investigation and personal dynamics within the police. The affair hints at hidden motives and secrets that could influence the case.

Helga Schuler poisons the grandmother, leaving her paralyzed and unable to act. She forges a revised will to leave the fortune to Helga if Vicky and the grandmother die. The motive is financial, driving the schemes that unfold around Vicky.

The forged will contains an irrevocable clause: if Vicky dies before turning 18, the fortune goes to the state. This clause underpins the plan and foreshadows the danger Vicky faces as the adults scheme to control the inheritance. The plot thickens as the manipulation around the estate comes to light.

Roland and others begin to treat water as a symbolic medium in the killings, suggesting a baptism-like purification ritual. The detective's theory ties the deaths to a thematic motif tied to the majorette squad and youth. The investigators pursue this symbolic angle as the body count climbs.

Helga learns the sheriff's identity as the killer when Harry stumbles upon him murdering another victim in the shower. The grisly discovery shocks the investigators and confirms the murderer’s religiously motivated pattern. The revelation marks a major turning point in the case.

Helga and her son ambush the sheriff at his house, revealing his true nature as a religious fanatic. They explain his plan to kill Vicky after she turns 18 so the fortune can be taken. The confrontation escalates the stakes and changes who is in control of the town’s fate.

Vicky is kidnapped by a local biker gang who intend to rape and kill her. The abduction creates a new layer of danger and distracts the police as they race to locate her. Jeff, Vicky’s boyfriend, becomes a central figure in the rescue effort.

Jeff amasses weapons and stages a siege against the bikers’ headquarters to rescue Vicky. He leads a confrontation that draws police attention away and culminates in a tense showdown. The siege demonstrates the town's willingness to act when the stakes are personal.

In the aftermath, the sheriff murders Helga and destroys photographic evidence proving his guilt. He then frames the dead Harry for the murders, leveraging his peeping-tom history to deflect blame. The killer consolidates power as the crime remains unsolved in the public eye.

Some time later, the sheriff is observed watching a coach train a new group of elementary school girls to be majorettes. The scene suggests the cycle of control and purity continues beyond the events of the film. The ending implies that the system itself perpetuates brutality.