Don't Torture a Duckling

In the small village of Accendura, a boy named Bruno Lo Casio goes missing, prompting a police investigation led by the inspector, commissioner, and Captain Modesti. As the case unfolds, a ransom demand is made, and the police initially suspect Giuseppe, but he is found innocent. The murders of Michele and Tonino follow, and the police focus on Maciara, a local witch accused of practicing black magic, but she too is cleared of suspicion. Despite this, the superstitious villagers brutally kill Maciara. Meanwhile, a journalist from Rome, Andrea Martelli, arrives in the village, befriending Patrizi, a young woman hiding from a drug scandal. Together, they meet the village priest, Don Alberto Avallone, and his slow daughter, who may have witnessed the murders and hold the key to solving the case.