8 Possible Candidates for ‘Dexter’s’ New York Ripper, Ranked by How Likely They Are

Dexter: Resurrection has restored the Dexter franchise to its former glory, offering viewers the thrilling kills, chilling killers, and dark comedy that fans so loved in the first few seasons. As these initial episodes of Resurrection near their end, several questions remain, including whether Dexter (Michael C. Hall) will be caught, what will happen to Harrison, and most importantly (for the purposes of this list), who is the New York Ripper?

A gruesome and sadistic killer, the New York Ripper has been brought up several times in passing. Leon Prater (Peter Dinklage) showed off the murderer’s weapon while giving Dexter a tour of his serial killer memorabilia. It was also mentioned that Detective Claudette Wallace (Kadia Saraf) nearly lost her career trying to take him down.

For unknown reasons, after several years, the Ripper suddenly stopped killing. He then began leaving cryptic messages for his victims’ loved ones, giving us just one more reason to hope he’s soon brought to justice. But the Ripper needs to be identified before he can be stopped, so here’s our attempt to help track him (or her) down.

8

Astor and Cody

Dexter’s stepchildren through Rita, Astor and Cody had a complicated relationship with Dexter. Initially thrilled to have Dexter in their life, Astor would grow to resent him after her mother’s murder. She and Cody were then sent to live with their grandparents, only to return in Season 7, at which point Dexter and Astor seemingly reconciled. However, neither of the children has been seen since, and with them not even getting a mention in New Blood or Resurrection, we have to wonder what they’ve been up to all these years.

Book Relevance

To be fair, this idea is kind of out there, and it leaves some questions regarding the timeline. Plus, there currently isn’t any specific evidence pointing to Astor or Cody. However, if we turn to the source material, there’s reason to keep them on our suspect list. In the books, Astor and Cody were serial killers in-the-making, with author Jeff Lindsay even considering killing off Dexter and having Cody replace him. So, if the duo are to return to the series and have a similar arc, this could potentially be how.

7

Jonah Mitchell

Son of Trinity, Jonah Mitchell (Brando Eaton) despised his father, but he also took after him in one horrible way. After learning of his sister’s suicide, he murdered his mother, then tried to place the blame on his father. But Dexter knew the truth, which led to an altercation between the two in which Jonah wielded a strangely familiar-looking weapon. Add to that a Cameo in which Eaton said he couldn’t confirm or deny whether he was the Ripper, and it’s easy to see why fans are suspicious.

Plausible Deniability

Jonah has already killed once, so it’s certainly possible he could kill again. It would also fit Resurrection’s theme of father-son bonds. However, during Season 8, the Brain Surgeon’s file included someone named “J. Mitchell,” suggesting that Jonah might have been murdered. Plus, beyond the hook-shaped weapon and male-sounding voice recording, there isn’t really anything tying Jonah to the crimes.

6

Blessing Kamara

Blessing (Ntare Guma Mbaho Mwine) has easily been one of the best parts of Resurrection. Kind, considerate, and all around likable, it’s hard to think that he could ever cause harm, let alone be a serial killer. And yet, it was recently revealed that he was forced to be a child soldier, taking at least one life, and possibly more. His mother encouraged him to embrace a different path and keep his demons at bay, but what if he simply kept those demons out of her house (…minus the cat statues he brought home as trophies).

Blessing in Disguise

It would be a pretty big coincidence if Blessing’s the killer and Dexter just happened to move in with him. At the same time, there are just enough hints that we can’t dismiss this theory entirely. Sure, he doesn’t sound like the person in the voice recordings, but it’s possible the caller isn’t the same as the killer. That still brings up the question of why he stopped killing (and who is leaving the messages instead of him). Regardless, if this is Blessing’s real identity, then his mask is even better than Dexter’s.

5

Detective Claudette Wallace

The New York Ripper case nearly ruined Wallace’s career—or did it? It’s possible that Wallace was the Ripper all along, intentionally hiding her trail by obscuring evidence. This could also explain her continued obsession, as she wants the Ripper to experience (in)famy and knows she can spread his/her name by giving lectures. Plus, a detective on the force being the murderer isn’t an uncommon occurrence in Dexter, so she might be the next in a great line of bad cops.

Too Many Questions

While Wallace’s continued obsession with the Ripper would increase her fame, it would also accelerate her chances of getting caught. Additionally, Wallace has been alone several times in the show, and in those moments, it seemed like her obsession was real. While it would certainly be a twist, we think it’s just too convoluted for the show to successfully pull off.

4

Detective Melvin Oliva

Portrayed by Dominic Fumusa, Detective Oliva has so far played a pretty minor role in the series. He’s accompanied Detective Wallace during her investigations and shared some thoughts on the Ryan Foster case. Other than that, we don’t know much about him, which might make him a red herring—or the ideal suspect.

Disagreement, or Sabotage?

During most of the scenes between Oliva and Wallace, Oliva can be seen arguing with her. For example, when she brings up the ways in which Mia doesn’t make sense as Foster’s killer, he’s quick to explain away her concerns. Sure, he might actually believe what he’s saying, or he might have some secondary reason for misleading her, such as to ruin her reputation out of fear that she might uncover his real identity.

3

Charley Brown

Like with Detective Oliva, not much is known about Charley (Uma Thurman) at this point. She’s also a loving daughter whose mother is in the hospital, and she serves as Prater’s right-hand woman and helps him run his gatherings. She’s gone so far as to hunt down the serial killers and arrange their deaths when they fell out of line, showing that she’s willing and able to kill when the need arises. But the Ripper is an especially cruel killer, and we’re not so sure she has it in her.

Possible Explanations

If Charley is the Ripper, that explains how Prater got the Ripper’s weapon and could also be why the Ripper stopped killing for five years (as in, it would potentially align with when she started working for him). Perhaps her mom got sick and she chose to put murder-for-fun behind her and instead focused on murder-for-hire to help support her medical treatment. Then again, it’s shown that Charley is disgusted by the other killers’ behavior, possibly because she’d never commit an act so depraved, or possibly because the other killers are a reminder that she already has.

2

Cooper Morris

Cooper Morris (Jared Andrew Bybee) killed Prater’s parents in a collision after getting into a fight with his girlfriend. Apparently, Cooper and Prater later became friends, with Prater often visiting him and the two exchanging letters. During that time, Morris revealed to Prater that his parents weren’t Prater’s first victims, but rather, he’d killed an unspecified amount before. This leads us to wonder who else Morris killed, how, and what else was revealed in their meetings.

Current Theories

Currently, there are several theories revolving around Morris. One involves his letter, which has some odd capitalization, perhaps hiding his identity as the Ripper. Another involves the idea that Prater lied about his death and secretly snuck him out so that he could kill again. The final theory is that Cooper was the original Ripper and that someone else later took his place, possibly someone who by all means should have hated him but came to revere him instead.

1

Leon Prater

Prater is a strange guy, choosing to host philanthropic events during daytime and murderous dinners by night. When Dexter shared his feelings about killing, Prater seemed to relate, suggesting that the dinner parties were actually meant to help him find others like him. Although he claims to not partake in murder, we’ve already seen that he’s willing to lie about other things, such as Mia’s death, so he certainly could be lying about this as well. Add to that the near-dreamy way he showed off the Ripper’s weapon, and we think we’ve found our suspect.

Other Possibilities

If Prater isn’t the killer, it seems increasingly likely that he’s at least connected to him. Maybe he trained the killer at one of his dinners, or maybe he’s the person currently leaving the voice messages. Whatever the case, Prater’s connection to other killers opens up all sorts of horrible possibilities, and regardless of whether he’s revealed to be the Ripper, he’s still one of the most villainous characters in the entire series.