When a young couple -- war veteran Matt and his wife, Gwen Skokie -- are attacked in their Modesto, Calif., home, Matt dies and Gwen is left unconscious, barely clinging to life. As news of the brutal crime makes its way through the media, both sets of parents sit vigil by Gwen's bed, hoping for a miracle to keep her with them. The police investigation begins to close in on four suspects in the case, and shock waves radiate through the community, stirring up tensions along ethnic and racial lines.