It's Christmas in turn-of-the-century Toronto, and Detective William Murdoch and his team have a murder to solve. At a charity gala for sick children, Murdoch and Dr. Ogden find the host, dressed as Santa Claus, dead from a broken neck. To make matters worse, all the presents that were collected for the children have been stolen. When witnesses report hearing a wild animal near the scene, Inspector Brackenreid suspects the legendary Krampus. Meanwhile, Constable Crabtree worries he'll have nowhere to spend the holidays.