The Real Life Dexter Morgan

For almost 20 years, audiences have been enamoured by the trials and tribulations of Dexter Morgan. Portrayed by the uber talented Michael C. Hall over the course of three separate shows, the Dexter series has served as a storytelling masterclass.

Remaining popular even to a new generation of viewers, it is common knowledge to most fans that the iconic TV show and its sequels are adaptations of a novel written by Jeff Lindsay. What is slightly lesser known however, is that Lindsay himself was inspired to write Dexter after finding out about a very real person.

Let's take a look at the inspiration behind television's favourite serial killer and see just how much art has imitated life. Don't worry, I'll keep this piece very spoiler free so go ahead and read on to your heart's content.

Who is the real Dexter?

Unlike the Miami-born Dexter Morgan that we know and love, the man who inspired him hailed from a completely different continent. Born in Minas Gerais, Brazil on 29 October 1954, Pedro Rodrigues Filho gained notoriety as a vigilante serial killer.

Like Dexter Morgan who was "born in blood", Rodrigues, or Killer Petey as he was sometimes called, came into this world with his fair share of trauma. While Dexter's dark passenger was born from emotional trauma, Rodrigues was born with a bruised skull, the result of his pregnant mother being kicked by his father.

Rodrigues' urge to kill first presented itself when he was 13 years old. Getting into a fight with his cousin, Rodrigues pulled a knife on him and pushed him into a sugar cane press. Fortunately, family members were nearby and were able to rush to his cousin's aid.

A year later, he shot a local politician who had sacked his father from stealing food from the school he was working at. He also shot another school security guard whom he believed to be the real thief. At the young age of 14, he had become a man on the run and fled to Greater Sao Paolo. It was there that his killing sprees truly began.

Pedrinho Matador

Upon moving to the city, Rodrigues quickly joined a local gang. Unlike Dexter who hides his murderous tendencies behind a respectable public facade, killing and crime was all Rodrigues was ever known for. He soon became entangled in a relationship with the widow of a local drug lord and she fell pregnant with his child. However, she was soon murdered and Rodrigues was out for revenge.

Rodrigues personally tracked down the rival gang that killed his girlfriend and murdered all of them, wiping out the entire group in the process. Like the "Code of Harry" that was given to Dexter to control his homicidal urges, Rodrigues also operated with a similar standard, only killing other criminals such as murderers, rapists and drug dealers. His activities made him something of a legend in the community and he was soon dubbed Pedrinho Matador or Killer Lil' Pedro in English.

At the age of 18, Rodrigues' crimes finally caught up to him and he was arrested. During his prison transport, he was somehow able to murder a fellow prisoner. When asked why, he said that he killed the man because he was a rapist. Rodrigues was originally sentenced to 126 years in prison for his crimes but prison did not stop him from continuing his killing spree. Due to all the murders he committed in prison, his sentence soon ballooned to over 400 years. Despite this, he still found a reprieve.

A law was passed forbidding any prisoner from spending more than 30 years behind bars. Due to this, Rodrigues was scheduled to be released in 2003. News of the impending release of a vigilante killer with dozens of bodies to his name soon made the headlines and found itself on the desk of one Jeff Lindsay.

Inspiring Dexter

When the news broke of Rodrigues' impending release, he was often compared to Marvel character, The Punisher, another anti-hero known for murdering criminals. Lindsay, who had read about the case quickly got to work on his novel, Darkly Dreaming Dexter.

While Rodrigues' intended release date did not come to pass, the novel and subsequent TV adaptation of Dexter shot up to the pop culture stratosphere. As a result of this, Rodrigues himself enjoyed a growth in popularity.

Rodrigues was released in 2007, a year after the first season of the Dexter TV series was released. Despite his new lease on life and growing media attention on him, Rodrigues struggled to keep out of trouble and was arrested again in 2011. He didn't stay in prison for long the second time around as he was released just 7 years later for good behaviour.

Later Life & Death

Upon his second release from prison, Rodrigues appeared to turn over a new leaf. Publicly denouncing his past actions, he renounced his vigilante lifestyle and vowed to never commit another crime again.

He embarked on a second career as a YouTuber, using his platform and past notoriety to comment on crimes and to urge others to keep away from a criminal lifestyle. Adopting the name Pedrinho EX Matador (Ex-killer Pedro), he sought to make it clear that crime was in his past.

While his time as a killer and vigilante brought him attention, Rodrigues used his channel to warn others not to be proud of committing crimes. Unlike Dexter Morgan who still struggles to balance between his urges to kill and his budding humanity, Rodrigues was able to let go of his dark side and use his old experiences to keep others from falling down the same path.

Just as Rodrigues himself had found new life away from prison and crime, the Dexter franchise also experienced a fresh jumpstart with the premier of the sequel series Dexter: New Blood in 2021. Released to rave reviews, it was clear that the public's appetite for the iconic killer had not diminished in the slightest.

While Rodrigues may have been done with the streets, the streets were unfortunately not finished with him. On 5 March 2023, 68 year old Rodrigues was gunned down in a drive-by shooting. A particularly grisly crime, one of the assailants also slashed his throat, nearly decapitating him. As of this writing, neither the motive of the crime has been revealed nor have any suspects been identified.

Legacy

While the story of Pedro Rodrigues Filho may have reached its definitive end, the legacy he has left behind remains very much alive. In the years following his death, the Dexter series has enjoyed an even greater resurgence with the prequel series Dexter: Original Sin coming out in 2024 and another sequel, Dexter: Resurrection coming out less than a year later.

Becoming Showtime's most streamed premiere, Resurrection has been renewed for a second season. Thus, it shows that there's plenty of gas left in the tank for the Dexter franchise as a whole.

Regardless of what we may feel personally about the grisly life story of Pedro Rodrigues Filho, one thing is for certain. Television as we know it today would be very different if the man known as Pedrinho Matador chose to not do what he did.