"Dexter"-Like Serial Killer Taking Lives in Long Island

Via: gather.com: A real-life "Dexter" may be murdering prostitutes in Long Island, New York. Thus far, eight bodies have been uncovered by police, and authorities are suspecting the serial killer may have ties to law enforcement, akin to Showtime's hit show.

The show follows the title character (played by Michael C. Hall), a blood-splatter analyst working for the Florida Police Department. The product of a heinous tragedy involving his mother’s death when he was a child, Dexter has learned to only take his blood lust out on those who “deserve” it – a.k.a. murderers of the innocent.

In recent months investigators in Suffolk County, NY discovered human remains of eight persons, half of which have been identified as prostitutes. Authorities have hypothesized that the killer could have ties to law enforcement, maybe even a cop, due to a seeming understanding of police investigative techniques – such as making calls to victims’ families from highly populated areas. Read more after the jump...



Detectives believe the killer chose Madison Square Garden and Times Square, for example, because he was able to blend in with the crowd while calling; even if investigators located a signal, they would not be able to determine who it was through surveillance footage because of the amount of people around him at the time. His use of disposable cell phones and staying on the phone only three minutes also makes authorities believe the killer has inside information on how to avoid being caught.

Such calls were disparaging about the victims’ professions, leading authorities to believe they were targeted because of their prostitution, similar to how Showtime's protagonist targets victims based on their crimes.

Criminal profiler Pat Brown, however, is warning officials not to pigeon-hole themselves by focusing only on current and retired police officers, for instance; the killer may just be a fan of television shows like “CSI” and “Dexter,” learning his moves from fictional characters as opposed to real-life experience.

This is not the first time a murderer has admitted inspiration from this particular show. Back in December 2009, a 17-year-old who strangled his 10-year-old brother to death said the show inspired him and that he identified with the almost heroic character. In 2008, a 29-year-old self-admitted “Dexter” fan killed a 39-year-old stranger in an imitated dismemberment storyline.

A cause of death for the Long Island remains that have been uncovered has yet to be released.