The Smiley Face Killer

Detective Richard Slater, called Slate by his friends and colleagues, is used to a career investigating violent crimes, but even he isn’t prepared for the horrific scene that awaits him when he is assigned the murder investigation of Steven Davis.

Davis, a student and actor at a major Kansas university, was beaten and assaulted before being hung above the stage at Duncan Theatre. Davis was not only an accomplished performer but also a popular figure in Wichita’s LGBT community. Slate realizes that this could be a crime motivated not by jealousy, rivalry, or greed but by pure intolerance.

Slate will track down a number of leads. Some will get him closer to solving the case, but many could lead him on potentially dangerous tangents.

While investigating, Slate confronts his own internal demons. He struggles to be a good son and father. At the same time, childhood trauma is rearing its ugly head and causing him to lose focus at a point critical to his investigation. When the killer begins targeting Slate’s own loved ones, he will find himself racing against a ticking clock in the quest for justice.