Article 13 – 'Rita Morgan's Tragic Death'
Miami Daily Herald Newspaper article, written by reporter Mike RePort, 3/14/10
"Dexter Morgan, Confessed Serial Killer, Commits Suicide"
"Interviews with his Colleagues and Family"
I owe you, the reader, an explanation about the timing of these follow up interviews. Each interview is handled in steps. First we have to coordinate schedules to do the interview. Once the actual interview is completed I prepare the first draft for approval. The approval process includes the individual being interviewed, the MMPD command staff, and the FBI. Then it comes back to this reporter with all of the corrections to be incorporated into what you, the reader, will see printed as the final article. The time varies from article to article because of this process. Thank you all for your patience and understanding.
My next interview is with Detective Joey Quinn. Det. Quinn has been with the MMPD Homicide Department a little over two years, the most recent addition to the team. His partner is Detective Debra Morgan. He has worked with everyone on the team including Dexter Morgan. I found Det. Quinn to be respectful of the delicate situation affecting his fellow detectives due to Dexter Morgan's Dark Passenger more out of his concern for Det. Debra Morgan than his personal involvement with Dexter Morgan.
MR – Detective Quinn, thank you for your time to help the Miami community better understand each of the individuals personal experiences that were close to Dexter Morgan. As I have told the others before you in this series of interviews I know that this is not easy for you. May I call you Joey?
JQ – Everyone calls me Quinn. Either one is okay.
MR – Very good, I'll call you Quinn. You are the newest team member in Homicide. You have been on board now for about two years. How has this recent series of events affected you?
JQ – Dexter Morgan was a forensics guy and we worked together. We weren't that close, in fact we really didn't like each other that much. I always felt something was different about him but I have to say this caught me off guard completely. I feel bad for his sister, Deb. Deb and I are partners and it's been hell for her. I know you will talk to her too if she okays the interview but I have to say it's better that he's gone even though I know Deb is suffering so badly right now. I know she will get past this and move on.
MR – Being Deb's partner puts you in a unique position to observe her through your work since all of this has happened. Is there anything you can tell our readers that may shed some light on her current condition?
JQ – Deb is strong and is working hard right now. That's how she survives, through her work. And I should say through her efforts to help the kids. She can tell you about that. I see her struggling daily trying to keep her emotions in check while she works on her cases. She's doing better now in my opinion.
MR – What do you do to deal with the knowledge that one of your co-workers was a serial killer?
JQ – I have put that issue to bed. I don't blame myself for not knowing earlier. Dexter was a forensics scientist and was trained to cover his tracks. I could not know what I could not know; it's that simple for me. My issue is with my team. I want to be there for them if I can do anything that will help them through this, especially Deb. I see each of them handling this as well as can be expected. This is a tough group.
MR – I'm sure they all appreciate your concern and efforts. Is there anything you would like to add that we have not covered?
JQ – Just that I believe in my team and we will survive.
MR – Thank you, Det. Quinn, for your time and sharing your thoughts with our readers.
This interview was shorter than the previous ones, I think due to the fact that Det. Joey Quinn had not developed the close relationship with Dexter Morgan that the others had. He was truly concerned for his team which was not only demonstrated through his words but as I observed, through his demeanor.
My next interview is with Vincent Masuka the (other) Forensics Expert in the MMPD Homicide Department. Mr. Masuka worked directly with Dexter Morgan in their common efforts to solve crimes through the science of Forensics. Mr. Masuka is articulate, intelligent, and has an interesting view on life in general. His insight into the world of Forensics Science was an education and I hope your take on his interview will be as well received as it was by this reporter.
MR – Mr. Masuka, thank you for taking the time to give us this opportunity to get your take on the Dexter Morgan tragedy. I understand that you have recently been appointed to the new position of Director of Forensics for the MMPD, congratulations.
VM – Thank you, Mike. Is it okay if I call you Mike? I like your name by the way, Mike RePort. It fits perfectly with what you do! Has anyone else ever commented about that to you? I bet they have.
MR – Yes, of course, call me Mike. And yes others have commented about my name. To tell the truth it's a pen name. I use it to protect my true identity because of the investigative reporting that I do. This case is a perfect example. Now who is interviewing who here? Let's continue.
VM – My promotion to DOF establishes the turning point that says the MMPD is moving on and getting past the Dexter Morgan era. It's my time now to add a new Forensics Expert to the department. I am currently interviewing and hope to have a new body on board soon.
MR – I like your choice of words Mr. Masuka. Is it okay if I call you Vince?
VM – Vince is good. Of course Director sounds good too.
MR – Very well then, Director. How are you handling all of this, the Dexter Morgan Era, as you have called it?
VM – I worked with Dexter for all these years and never suspected him. He was good! I mean he was good at covering his tracks. Do you realize how much effort he put into hiding his kills? Well I do! Now that I know his background it makes more sense. Like you said in one of your articles, no one was watching before.
At a personal level I'm okay now. Have you met our therapist? She really helped me get a handle on this thing. She told me that it was okay to be mad, hurt, betrayed, and really to have a full range of emotions and feelings and that was normal. What Dexter did is not my fault and I can't beat myself up over not knowing or not doing anything before to stop it. I've been back to talk to her as many times as the rest of the team and to be honest I do feel better now. I believe time heals all wounds, except the fatal ones of course and I should know!
MR – Good point Director, very true. You are in a unique position to answer some questions I have plus some questions from our readers. Early on it was noted that there was a 90 minute time gap from the moment Dexter Morgan arrived home to when he actually called the police to report Rita's murder. Has that been explained?
VM – Yes, to a point. When we first received his call the team was shocked to say the least. Dexter was one of us and this was his wife for God's sake. Everyone knew Rita and loved her; she was one of the family here. When I first arrived at his home I approached Dexter first to offer my condolences. He appeared to be truly shaken; I don't think he was faking. He told me to do my job and do it damn good. Those were his exact words. He was intense and upset when we spoke.
Deb was already there and was holding Harrison, just a few feet away from us when I first arrived. Deb looked lost. I thought that the both of them were ready to lose it but they held on for each other. Dexter had blood on him from holding Harrison and on his hands and arms from Rita. At that point I had not seen her yet but knew what had happened. At that moment I thought everything appeared right for the situation.
I entered the house and went to the bathroom were Rita was. That scene is still in my mind; I don't think I will ever forget that moment. Rita was in the tub, dead. She had been cut and bled out. Harrison had been on the floor near the tub with blood on the floor. You could see where he had been sitting and crawling around from the streaks in the blood. We now know this was very similar to what had happened to Dexter when he was three. Harrison is much younger and our hopes are that he will not be affected the same way.
I started my investigation at this point first by taking her temperature to fix the time of death, then with photos. It turned out that Rita had been dead for approximately 8 to 10 hours. The dried and streaked blood on most of the floor supported that time line. But I also noticed that the blood around the tub, closest to the tub was still fairly moist. That did not fit. The only explanation was that Rita's body had been moved and the bloody water from the tub had been splashed onto the floor.
I continued with my investigation and found the knife under her in the tub that had been used to kill her. The impression it left on her skin was in two locations, overlapping actually, close but not exact. One impression was from the initial positioning. The second was more recent, maybe within a half hour or so. I knew then that Dexter had been searching for the knife like I had. It's what we do. It's part of the job. It's in our blood. I informed Sgt. Batista once I knew that the crime scene had been compromised. I actually thought for an instant that maybe Dexter had killed her but I dismissed that immediately because I knew, at that time, that he could not do something like that, there was no reason to that I knew of anyway.
That was the beginning that led to us finding out that he had waited 90 minutes to call 911. There was no evidence that he did anything else during that 90 minutes except hold Harrison and grieve.
MR – Thank you, Director, for the background concerning the 90 minute gap. Its' been about 11 weeks now since Rita Morgan's death. Its' been about 8 weeks since Dexter Morgan was arrested. Its' been about 7 weeks since he committed suicide. How much longer will the MMPD and the FBI be working on his case before you have all of the evidence processed and can close the case?
VM – We estimate another month or so. Dexter gave us much of what we needed to get this far so quickly. We will never find all of the bodies but we have all of the names of his victims. There's a lot of paperwork to process and that's where we are now. Once we file the case as "Closed" the fallout will begin from the victim's families and from Dexter's cases as an expert witness. So in reality the case will not be over until all of the fallout has run its' course. I have no idea how long that will take but its' the closest thing to job security that I will ever get! Sorry, a little forensics' humor there!
MR – You have a way with words, Director. Is there anything else you would like to add to wrap up our interview?
VM – Just that the team here will be okay. I really worry about the kids though; they've been through so much. I feel so bad for them. Life is not fair. If there is one thing that has come out of all of this is that life is not fair, at all.
MR – Thank you, Director Masuka, for your time and your insight.
That concluded one of the more informative interviews answering the question about what happened in the 90 minute gap. As you can see, Director Vincent Masuka is an interesting character.
The last person I have to interview is Debra Morgan. We have an appointment and I will report back to you, the reader, as soon as I can. Her interview will cover the children as well as Debra Morgan's personal battle to deal with not only all of this most recent tragedy but those that she has previously experienced.
Thank you once again for your patience and interest.
Article 13 – 'Rita Morgan's Tragic Death'