Brian Moser

Brian Moser  aka The Ice Truck Killer is a character in the Showtime series DEXTER.

He is the first main antagonist in the series, and one of Debra Morgan's lovers.

Living under the alias of Rudy Cooper, Brian begins a strange killing spree. When police find the bodies of several dismembered and bloodless prostitutes, they initiate a difficult investigation, not realizing that the killer is hiding in plain sight.

During the debut's season finale, Brian is revealed to be Dexter Morgan's biological older brother and the son of Laura Moser. It is never specified whether or not Joe Driscoll is Brian's father.

Description
Brian is a rather tall and thin man with curly black hair and a distinct facial structure. He is handsome, like his brother Dexter Morgan, but more rugged and rough around the edges. He's also fairly strong and could be on par with Dexter, minus the martial arts training that Dexter has had. He has green eyes and a scar on the left side of his top lip (due to an injury received in "Seeing Red").

His typical work attire consists of a lab coat, dress shirt with a tie, and dress pants. Casually, he is often seen wearing a red button-down shirt and, beneath it, a white undershirt. When killing/dismembering his victims, he typically wears all black clothing, an apron, protective gloves, and something to protect his face (much like his brother).

Personality
Brian displays different personas depending on the circumstances, and is very intelligent. He evades the police, tricks Debra Morgan into loving him, and even deceives Dexter.

Brian has a fascination for (and attraction to) prostheses and limbs that stems from a traumatic event he experienced at an early age when he watched his mother being brutally dismembered with a chainsaw. Monique reveals to Angel Batista that her prosthetic hand turned Brian on and he got "kinky" with it. According to Vince Masuka, a person with this type of fetish is called an "amputee devotee." Of note, he had a deep interest in Debra's legs, fitting in with his career in prosthetics and attraction to limbs.

Like his younger brother, Dexter, he can easily hide his true self by putting on a mask of deception. Since Brian was never taught a Code, it left him free to claim any life.

Young "Biney"
Brian was a playful child and had a quiet nature about him. He spent most of his time with his younger brother, Dexter, and his mother, Laura Moser. He was very fond of his little brother and often hugged him. When Dexter fell off his skateboard, Brian complimented the wipe-out, but told him to be more careful next time.

After their mother was dismembered in front of them, Brian and Dexter were abandoned together inside the blood-filled shipping container. Caring about his little brother was the only part of Brian's innocence that did not die during that traumatic event. It took two days before Brian and Dexter were found by police, sitting in blood. Despite Brian's pleas, the two of them were separated. Dexter was taken in by a foster family and then adopted, while Brian was admitted into a Tampa mental hospital, where he grew up. Brian was left with nothing but the memory of the family he once had.

Mental Patient
Brian spent his youth in a mental institution and was diagnosed with Antisocial Personality Disorder. While there, he learned ways to adapt to society, but he also picked up on the ability to mask his true self. Despite having the obvious dysfunction of needing to kill, he was able to hide it so well that he was released in 1989, at the age of twenty-one.

Little else is known about Brian during this time, except what he reveals during a conversation with Dexter in "Born Free".

"“You’re trapped in a lie, little brother, the same lie they tried forcing me into...doctors, therapists, group leaders - the family they were... When Harry found me, all he saw was a fucked-up kid. They all did, so they locked me up...I know what you’ve gone through all these years -- the isolation, the otherness, the hunger that’s never satisfied, but you’re not alone, anymore, Dexter. You can be yourself with me, your real, genuine self. It takes the breath away, doesn’t it?”"

The Ice Truck Killer
The witnessing of his mother's murder instilled dark urges in Brian that drove him to kill. It's revealed that before Brian cut up his victims into pieces, he drained them of their blood. In "Seeing Red", he covered a hotel room with their collective blood in his scheme to force his brother to remember the Shipping Yard Massacre. It is unclear whether he dismembered his victims in the past, or if he started doing it as part of his plan to reconnect with Dexter.

To spark Dexter's memory, Brian left many detailed and encrypted clues. They included body parts, doll pieces, different colored fingernails, photos of Dexter's past, the blood-filled hotel room, and the actual Moser home. In the end, the brothers do reunite - but only briefly. Brian, although he was intelligent, calculating, and cautious, did not anticipate Dexter's reaction to his demand for Debra's death. ("Born Free")

In the Mask, as Rudy
Rudy Cooper is the the name of a man that Brian murdered in 1998. He then stole his identity in order to get close to Dexter. Under the alias of Rudy Cooper, Brian came off as a kind and charming man whose occupation was to help severely injured patients. According to Rudy, he became a prosthetist because his mother had lost both of her legs in an accident and he regretted his inability to help her.



Rudy was the opposite of Dexter in outward personality. He didn't mind kicking back and having fun with others. He showed an appreciation for rock and classical music. Rudy would dance and play "air guitar," while appearing to be ambidextrous. ("Father Knows Best") The public saw Rudy as just a normal guy with no apparent issues - the perfect mask for a killer.



After he (as ITK) cut off Tony Tucci's leg and hand, Rudy (as doctor) provided treatment for his victim, fitting him with an artificial hand and leg. This gave Rudy the opportunity to start a casual flirtation with Officer Debra Morgan. After surprising Tucci with a prostitute named Shanda, Debra stood guard outside his hospital room where she noticed Rudy who gave her a smile before he departed. Later on, at Tucci's release from the hospital, Debra and Rudy had a moment to speak with one another. He remarked that he studied the human form at the University of Paris-Sorbonne which impressed her.

Debra's romantic feelings toward Rudy escalated after he asked her to dinner which resulted in the two of them sharing a passionate kiss. Rudy seemed to show sincere affection for Debra, but Brian was using her in his goal to get close to Dexter. Before long, Debra fell in love with Rudy. Unfortunately, after she served his purpose, he wanted to kill her.

While in Dexter's presence, Rudy appeared as a concerned friend and Debra's caring boyfriend. However, Dexter was often evasive with Rudy and found it awkward that the guy was trying to be his friend. Brian likely felt this rejection but he needed to keep up his guise until his big reveal to Dexter -- that he was his brother.

Without the Mask
Brian, without the mask, was a man determined to establish a bond with his brother, Dexter Morgan. To make this happen, he devised a complex plan that took years to bring to fruition. This included setting up a large refrigeration unit in his apartment where he could dismember his victims in order to display them as public messages to his brother. Brian also bought his childhood home under his real name (per "Born Free" and his driver license address).

Human life had little to no value to this Brian. He had no code and enjoyed killing. In addition to the prostitutes, he also murdered those who got in his way or had something that he needed (e.g. Rudy Cooper's identity; Fred's car). He was quite ruthless and killed in a casual manner. Often, he made cocky, sarcastic remarks, when not hiding behind another personality. Except for the murder of Rudy Cooper (in 1998), Brian's kill count and methods are unknown from 1989 (when he was released from the mental hospital) until 2006 (when The Ice Truck Killer appeared on the scene).

When it came to Dexter, Brian still felt the same way toward him that he did as a child - caring and protective. Toward anyone else, he felt nothing but derision

Messages and Games
Brian was very intelligent, calculating, cautious, and his methods were detailed and encrypted. He played games with the police and left "puzzles" that were meant strictly for Dexter. He knew exactly how to convey the past to Dexter without giving too much away.

Police diversions and clues to Dexter's past include:


 * Dismembered, bloodless bodies
 * Creation of a non-existent witness, by making an incomplete cut on a victim's leg (as if he were interrupted)
 * A spotless Ice Truck containing fingertips within a block of ice
 * An innocent man framed, before cutting off his hand and leg
 * Becoming Debra's lover in order to get close to Dexter
 * Doll pieces left inside Dexter's fridge
 * Different colored fingernails - on fingertips inside a block of ice, painted on a doll and a Prosthetic Hand.
 * Body parts displayed in places that represent significant moments of Dexter's past
 * Tony Tucci, who was set up to be killed by Dexter
 * The murder of Joe Driscoll so Dexter inherited his house
 * The blood-filled hotel room - Room 103
 * Attempted closure at their mother's house

Modus Operandi
Although Dexter and Debra speculated that The Ice Truck Killer committed his murders in a stolen ice truck (hence his name), it is revealed in "Truth Be Told" that he had a custom refrigeration unit in his apartment. It is where he actually dismembered his victims, wrapped up the body parts, and left them in public areas.

Brian's procedure was to drain the blood out of each victim before he cut up the corpse (allowing a less messy process). To do this, he would turn his victim upside down on an electric-powered table with metal grating. Then the neck was slit to allow the heart to pump out the blood, which was collected in a bucket. Later, Brian used the buckets of blood in the Marina View Hotel as part of his scheme to make his brother remember the past. ("Seeing Red")

in "Born Free," Dexter set up his murder of Brian to look like a suicide by slashing his throat and draining his blood in Brian's own apartment.

Apart from his Ice Truck Killer modus operandi, Brian killed people in other ways, one of which was pretending to be cable guy to kill Joe Driscoll and Irma Holt. Joe was slipped a sedative and then injected with diabetic insulin, which caused his death to appear as cardiac arrest. This method proved to be very successful as Joe was never suspected of being murdered (except by Dexter). The fact that Brian could kill and leave no clues or witnesses made him one a very dangerous serial killer.

Unnamed Hookers
Victims likely in the Blood Buckets list:


 * Ice Truck Killer Victims 1 and 2
 * Pool Victim
 * Fountain Victim

Blood Buckets
Prostitutes whose blood Brian stored in his apartment:


 * 1) Jill Vartos
 * 2) Teri Ludlow
 * 3) Heather Costas
 * 4) Alice Curry
 * 5) Amy True
 * 6) Terry Foster
 * 7) Guilda Ruppert
 * 8) Tammy Goode
 * 9) Sheri Taylor (name not on a bucket)
 * 10) Monique (name not on a bucket; her blood wasn't used in the Marina View Hotel room)
 * 11) Unnamed bucket - Unidentified prostitute

Other Kills
Note: It is probable that Brian has a higher victim count.


 * 1) Rudy Cooper - to steal his name
 * 2) Joe Driscoll - to get close to Dexter
 * 3) Irma Holt - to cover his tracks
 * 4) Fred - to steal his car

Attempted Victims

 * Tony Tucci (held captive and amputated his arm and leg)
 * Angel Batista (stabbed in the back)
 * Debra Morgan (abducted and tried to stab, but stopped by Dexter)

Childhood
Brian Moser was born in 1968 to Laura Moser. It was never confirmed if Joe Driscoll was Brian's father. Their exact relationship with one another was unclear; however, since Brian did eventually kill him, it is suggested that they weren't close. In 1971, his mother, Laura, gave birth to a second child named Dexter and from that moment on, Brian looked out for his little brother. They lived in a small house at 1235 Mangrove Drive in Miami, Florida, and when Brian became old enough, he started to attend school.

The earliest known events in Brian's life were the times he spent at his mother's house, roughly around age five. He would play hide and seek with her as well as his little brother. Dexter was the more energetic child and laughed and teased them when playing hide-and-seek. Brian was quiet, reserved but he had a deep affection for his little brother, often cradling him in his arms as a protector.

At one point, Dexter managed to ride on Brian's skateboard but had a wipe out, Brian comforted him by telling him it was the best wipe out he'd ever seen. He put a band-aid on Dexter's scrape, while giving him tips to bend his knees the next time while Dexter nodded in agreement. The two shared a great childhood together

Unfortunately, Dexter's mother was a drug addict (her boyfriend at the time, Joe Driscoll, returned from the Vietnam War and became an addict himself). This never affected Laura's love for her boys but it put her at high risk with certain parties.

She met Detective Harry Morgan and began acting as his confidential informant in trying to provide intel that would bring down a drug kingpin, Hector Estrada. It soon turned into an affair, even though Harry had a wife. Doris Morgan.

On Friday, September 28, 1973, Laura met with Harry in an interview room, holding her youngest son, Dexter; while her older son, Brian, was in school. Laura told Harry that she wanted out, because it was too risky for her and her boys She felt that her life was on the line, believing she and Harry were followed to the park the previous day. Harry assured her that nothing would happen to her or her children. Harry closed out the interview, patting Dexter on the head.

Shipping Yard Massacre

 * Main article: Shipping Yard Massacre

A news article dated Wednesday, 3 October 1973, reported that Laura Moser and her two sons, Dexter and Brian, as well as three drug users were herded into the shipping container CBAN 348 9 by drug kingpin Hector Estrada and two of his henchmen - Juan Pablo Aliso and Santos Jimenez. Santos wielded the chainsaw, while the other two prevented the captives from escaping.

After the first three victims were slain, Laura begged them not to do this in front of her baby. She screamed and cried as Santos revved the chainsaw. Turning to give Dexter a final smile, Laura told him to close his eyes and that she loved him. Santos then cut into her, butchering Laura in front of her sons.

The killers fled the area, leaving Dexter and Brian to sit in blood among the body parts for two days. Brian, who was older, always remembered the experience. Dexter didn't, though he shut down emotionally for over thirty years. A happy childhood ended in tragedy, and it created two future serial killers. Dexter, however, was given the means to control and focus his urges, thanks to the first man on scene, Detective Harry Morgan.

When Harry opened the shipping container door, he was horrified by the absolute carnage inside. He spotted the two children and picked up the younger one, Dexter. As they were being separated, the brothers tried holding onto each other's hands. Brian screamed, "Please don't leave me Dexter!" and Dexter called back, "Biney!"

Harry told the other officers outside to get in there immediately. Brian was recovered and taken away, but Harry held Dexter close and told him everything would be alright. Harry made his way to the car while Dexter looked over his shoulder with a blank stare. The event was blocked out of his mind for most of his life.

Santos Jimenez managed to cut a deal and later moved to Naples. Juan Pablo Aliso died in a drug deal, while Hector Estrada received a life sentence in prison. Dexter was brought into the Morgan family and raised by Harry and his wife, Doris, as the brother of Debra Morgan.

Growing Up
According to adult Brian, all Harry saw in him was a "fucked up kid" as did the other officers so, rather than go with his brother, Dexter, he was placed in a mental facility in Tampa Bay, Florida. His only family there was a group of other disturbed children and the psychiatrists working with him. Meanwhile, Brian held onto the memories of his mother and brother, Dexter.

Brian had an uncontrollable urge to kill but never learned a Code so he felt free to claim any life he desired. It is likely that without Harry's guidance, Dexter would've been like Brian in his adult life.

The ability to hide who he truly was made Brian appear fit for society, so he was eventually released at the age of 21. He then created a new identity for himself by taking the name of a plumber, Rudy Cooper, and working as a prosthetics specialist. He did, however, buy his mother's house under the name of Brian Moser.

Adulthood
Brian traveled the country and even across the world following his release from the Tampa Mental Institution after being cleared at age twenty-one. It is believed that due to his isolation in the facility, he chose to travel in order to secure a life for himself and see what had passed him by growing up from the 1970s and part of the 80s. He claimed to Debra that he had traveled to Paris, France, where he studied the human form at the University of Paris-Sorbonne, It helped provide an acute knowledge of the human body (which would be used later in his life for the dismemberment of his victims). Brian entered the field of prosthetics after he killed the man named Rudy Cooper in 1998, assuming his identity, including all of his information. (Cooper was likely not his first victim.)

Brian did his research at this point, tracing back to the cop who found them at the crime scene, Harry Morgan, as well as learning that Dexter had an adoptive sister, Debra. Brian was overjoyed to learn that his brother was a killer like himself.

He devised an elaborate plan to get close to his brother which (according to Brian in "Born Free") took years (e.g., setting up a refrigeration unit in his residence). He often broke into Dexter's apartment to learn about Dexter's life growing up, He even tailed Dexter as he disposed of his victims. He was also aware of Dexter's choice to only target murderers based on Harry's teachings, His end goal was to reunite the two of them, after making all the facts of Dexter's past come to light. He began to leave bloodless, dismembered bodies in public places to intrigue Dexter.

Relationships

 * Dexter Morgan - As a child, Brian loved and protected his younger brother, Dexter. After they were separated following their mother's murder, Brian held onto the memory of him. As an adult, he tracked down Dexter, who was still living in Miami. Once Brian discovered that his brother was a killer like him, he decided to play a game with Dexter to stir his remembrance. Everything Brian did during the Ice Truck Killer Investigation was a message to Dexter. Brian was smart, cunning, and even spent time with Dexter under the alias, Rudy Cooper. However, Brian couldn't tolerate Dexter's loyalty to his adoptive sister, Debra, whom he used as a part of his plan. When Brian insisted that Debra must die, Dexter decided to kill him. In the end, Brian still held onto the affection he felt for his brother despite Dexter's choice, and did not show anger toward him in his final moments.


 * Debra Morgan - Because Brian was skilled at hiding his true self and faking his emotions, his romantic feelings towards Debra appeared sincere. She fell in love with Brian (under his alias Rudy) while he was using her as part of his master plan to get close to Dexter. However, after he captured Debra, he made it clear to her that he never actually loved her. It blindsided her when he revealed himself as The Ice Truck Killer. After Brian's death, Debra remained fearful and she temporarily moved in with Dexter.


 * Laura Moser - In contrast to Dexter, Brian remembered his mother's brutal murder. The event warped him into becoming a ruthless serial killer. During the Ice Truck Killer Case, Brian carefully dismembered and drained his victims of their blood, in order to send a message to Dexter. He was fascinated in the way that his mother painted her fingernails in five different colors. Using distinct colors, Brian painted the fingernails on Monique's prosthetic hand, the doll's hand, and the frozen fingertips, and left them all as clues for Dexter. Of note, only his female victims were cut up into pieces.


 * Joe Driscoll - His relationship with Joe is unclear, but he hadn't seen him since childhood. As a way to reconnect with his long lost brother, he tracked Joe down, and accessed his house while disguised as a cable repairman. Brian slipped Joe a sedative, afterward injecting him with diabetic insulin. This caused Joe's death to appear as a non-suspicious heart attack. As Rudy Cooper, Brian accompanied Debra to help Dexter clear out Joe's house. While there, he was able to spend time with Dexter. After Dexter stole Joe's cremated remains, Brian suggested that he scatter them near Joe's favorite bowling alley. While there, Brian brought up the topic of family, hoping to stir Dexter's memory.

Connections to Others

 * Harry Morgan - Harry knew about both Brian and Dexter before the Shipyard Massacre as he was intimate with Laura Moser, their mother and his informant. Harry even made a promise that he would let nothing happen to her or her boys, though she unfortunately meets her death in the shipping container. When Harry enters the container he picks up Dexter and looks Brian in the eye, seeing that he's a "fucked up kid" (according to Brian) and rather than go back to get him by himself he takes Dexter out then orders several other police officers to get in there immediately. Harry continued to hide Brian's existence from Dexter and it's unknown whether or not he ever met Brian again in his lifetime, as Brian had already been released by the time Harry eventually killed himself. Brian personally despised Harry for taking Dexter away from him and implementing the "code".


 * Tony Tucci - A man he continued to cut body parts off, only to make sure that he was medically tended to afterward. Brian planned on Tucci being Dexter's kill, so the longer Dexter took to realize the truth the more likely body parts would find themselves showing up at various locations in Dexter's past. At first Brian insured that Tucci would be a fall guy, leading the police on a wild goose chase but in the end after Dexter decided to spare Tucci, Rudy ended up helping put him back together. It is likely that Brian (as Rudy) felt some sort of pride in "fixing" Tucci...by taking him apart, he made the man appreciate life more once he was saved and as gratitude he didn't seem to mind creating the prosthetic parts needed for Tucci to have a life again.


 * Angel Batista - Angel begins following up a lead based on a woman he met named Monique, leading him to talk to Brian (as Rudy Cooper) regarding prosthetics. At first Brian readies himself to kill Angel if he knew too much but decides not to when it seems Angel has no idea it's him...that is until Angel begins to snoop further and Brian strikes him down in a garage to protect himself. Angel survives the attack and is later able to figure out that Rudy's true identity is Brian Moser.


 * Monique - Monique is a prostitute that met with Brian over a year before his killings in Miami, she had a strong fascination for him and how he was to her as a John. At first he was violent until he noticed her imperfection and prosthetic hand, then his tune changed to a gentle (and worshiping) attitude. Ultimately however, to cover his tracks he turns Monique into one of his victims despite the fact that "Imperfection saved her the first time".


 * Camilla Figg - Camilla knew about Brian's existence, but insured that this data would never reach Dexter to protect him. After she is on her death bed, she reveals to Dexter that she was able to connect the truth about the Ice Truck Killer to Dexter's brother and is one of the few people that knows this reality. Dexter, before helping her pass on, tells her that she was right about Brian and that he killed him. Before she dies, she says that he did good killing him.


 * Ryan Chambers - Ryan is an intern for Vince Masuka that joins the department during the events of the Doomsday Killer Investigation. Masuka feeling that he wants to impress her, takes up evidence from the investigation to show her and says that he remembered her saying she was "really into the case". Ryan admits that she was actually obsessed with it, following it night and day...so the box is opened and she sees first Brian's hospital badge, then the Prosthetic Hand worn by Monique. She looks at it in awe, placing her hand close to where the fingertips show each differently colored nail, claiming that she painted her nails just like that herself. Following this event, Ryan actually steals the hand from evidence and sells it on a website...something that Masuka doesn't take lightly to (ultimately removing her as an intern). Of note, Ryan also mentioned The Bay Harbor Butcher and The Trinity Killer.


 * Louis Greene - Louis is the replacement intern over Ryan Chambers for Vince Masuka. He's a computer genius who aides in the Doomsday Killer Case while also helping Vince out with the "problem" regarding the sold hand. In reality, it's revealed that Louis is actually the buyer of the hand and was the original caller who asked about it back when Ryan was still working there. Louis is a mysterious character whose exact connection to ITK or Dexter is unknown, however he idolizes Dexter Morgan and in a way similar to Brian himself, appears to be getting close to Jamie Batista in order to get closer to Dexter. However he may genuinely have feelings for her, it can't be denied that his fascination in Dexter is noteworthy.


 * Michelle Ross - In Debra's confessions to her therapist, she reveals that not only was she dating a serial killer but that he was Dexter's biological brother. Recently Ross has put a lot of focus on that fact, that she chose to be with a serial killer and she's responsible for that decision even though Debra feels she couldn't have known that truth about him.


 * Travis Marshall - While not technically connected, many comparisons are made between the way Travis kills people and the way Brian did. First the dismemberment of Nathan Roberts, similar to the way Brian cut up his victims. Second, the need to convey a message...but as Dexter says, Brian's were "tailor-made for him"...the message Travis conveys is to the world. Third and most recently, Trent Casey was strung up to bleed out much like the way Brian handled his victims and the buckets of blood (used as part of a trap) is also similar.

Season One
Season One - A unknown serial killer dubbed the Ice Truck Killer starts leaving bloodless, dismembered bodies in Miami (with two previously found in Broward County). Unknown at the time, the killer is Brian Moser, the biological brother of Dexter Morgan. However, this fact isn't revealed until "Born Free". Brian is eventually killed by Dexter to protect his sister, Debra Morgan, and the investigation seems to be put to rest.


 * "Dexter"

"Dexter: 'No blood. No sticky, hot, messy awful blood. No blood at all. Why hadn't I thought of that? No blood. What a beautiful idea.'"

Dexter Morgan returns home to find a message on his answering machine from his sister Debra Morgan regarding a murder at the Seven Seas Motel, she personally requests that he appears there with a "pretty fucking please with cheese on top" which causes him to laugh and he readies himself to show up on scene. As he arrives, he passes through the yellow tape looking around slightly until he spots his sister (in her undercover outfit) who pulls him into her motel room. She does a run-through on the body, saying that it's the third victim in the past five months, with the other two victims found in Broward chopped up just like this one. Dexter seems a little surprised at a serial killer but Debra asks him if he can help her out, get a hunch on the situation that may enable her to finally transfer out of Vice into Miami Metro Homicide, where her brother works alongside the department as a forensic blood spatter analyst. Dexter agrees and heads outside, probably not expecting more than the usual work.

As he moves down into the pool he is greeted by the always perverse Vince Masuka, his coworker with a sense of humor. After making a joke about his attraction to Debra, he asks why Dexter is even here and Dexter replies by saying it's a crime scene though Masuka points out that he does blood spatter and there isn't any at the scene. This catches Dexter by surprise, something he hadn't thought of before as Masuka explains there's no blood in, on or around the body at all before he asks Detective Angel Batista to go ahead and show the body to Dexter. He approaches anxious to see the body, his face lined with an expression of awe while viewing the corpse of this dismembered corpse wondering to himself just how could he get rid of the blood? He begins to praise the work in his mind, saying that he's never seen such clean and neat dead flesh feeling it's unique. Angel describes that the body isn't complete however, pointing out a rough cut that seems interrupted on the left thigh (leaving it in just three pieces, not four as the other leg) and they begin working on the angle of there possibly being a witness in the area. Dexter stands up, believing he can't think if there's no blood and finds a way to head out of there since he's the blood guy then there's nothing he can do there. As Dexter leaves the scene, he looks back thinking that perhaps this guy has exceeded his own abilities.

Debra Morgan is added to the case thanks to their father's old friend Captain Thomas Matthews and Dexter later visits his girlfriend Rita Bennett in order to go out on a date with her. The two arrive at a festival of sorts, where all sorts of food items and partying commences while Dexter sort of plays along to seem normal enough. As the two stand at a crab table with Rita smashing the claws to find the meat inside, Dexter notices police off in the distance having sealed off a crime scene. Dexter's curiosity gets the best of him and he brings Rita towards the edge of the crowd before telling her he'll be right back. As he equips his forensic ID he notices a body laid out just like the one from earlier, beautifully preserved as well as bloodless.

Angel insults the killer by calling him a "Son of a Whore," a savage, an asshole killer...mainly because of the fact that they have to come in and work on a Friday Night. Dexter plays along agreeing, stating that this seems like the same guy and same pattern with Angel confirming no blood, absolutely bone dry. He begins to inform Dexter that the left leg has a difference in cut this time (it's rough at the ankle, not so much at the knee and mid-thigh is completely smooth). In addition, the very top of the thigh has the muscle and skin completely filet'd off revealing nothing but bone. Dexter claims that their killer is experimenting, trying to find the right way when Angel suddenly mentions the head missing, which causes Dexter some surprise. He thinks to himself now that this guy is good at what he does, smirking. In an awkward situation, Dexter later describers his fascination with the killer as pure artwork and even demonstrates his technique by "slicing" Rita's thigh at just the right point before getting somewhat sexually aroused by the incident. Rita isn't quite ready for that kind of contact and leaves Dexter feeling a bit out in the open, his head filled with thoughts of this new killer.

The following day Dexter Morgan meets with his sister Debra Morgan for lunch, having common small talk until Debra mentions an interesting fact: cell crystallization. She overheard a coroner say the word and brings up her observation about realizing the body parts looked cold, something that hits Dexter as an eye opener. He figures the cold would slow the blood flow and since this most recent victim was the only one showing those signs, the type of storage facility would have to be mobile so he discovers that the transportation has to be a Refrigerated Truck. Dexter figures then that Deb should check for any stolen refrigerated trucks in Miami, a point that she later mentions during a briefing by Lieutenant Maria LaGuerta regarding the case. Because of the nature behind Debra's attempt at explaining her observation (it's fairly nervous and stuttering), LaGuerta dismisses it as something she should "keep to herself".

Dexter had been tracking a potential kill of his own during this investigation into the yet unknown serial killer and he found this in a violent-rapist turned murderer named Jamie Jaworski. After ambushing him at a factory, Dexter went through his usual ritual before ending Jamie's life to appease his own Dark Passenger while also picking up the pieces to dispose of in his boat (as a note: these body parts were likely disposed of before seeing the Ice Truck and he was simply on his way home from the Mariana). Dexter parks in front of a hotel to take some time to admire the blood slide for Jamie, feeling that it was a good night. From behind him a truck pulls up and turns on its light, rather bright to get Dexter's attention. He sits there for a moment until it decides to pass by him, surprisingly turning out to be a Refrigerated Truck, in fact it's an Ice Truck the perfect size to act as the transport for bodies, keeping them cold and preserved. Dexter can't believe his luck and begins to follow the truck, unknowingly reaching a dead end...and the truck begins to turn itself around, facing Dexter.

Dexter begins to feel that he's in a dangerous situation, the serial killer knew exactly that he was being followed and lured Dexter into a trap. The man faces Dexter's car for a moment before driving slowly towards him, turning up the brights on his high beams so that it prevents Dexter from getting a good look into the driver's seat. As Dexter tries to get glimpse, something flies from the window and smacks against the windshield: it's the head of the woman from earlier, having been preserved in the front seat up there with him. Dexter gets out but is unable to see anything more of the truck before police arrive to deal with the situation. They paramedics give Dexter a basic eye test to see how he's doing and Maria LaGuerta arrives to talk about Debra's theory with the Ice Truck panning out seeing as Dexter pretty much just backed it up.

While Dexter is out, Brian sneaks into his house (for what may be referenced as the first instance but it is likely he has been here before) to figure out more about his brother. He leaves a Dismembered Doll in his freezer, with the head of the doll stuck to the front of the door before leaving. When Dexter returns during the day he notices the head "calling out" to him in a sense, as he moves forward playfully flicking the hair...he opens the door to discover the rest of the doll's body. The same expression of awe and curiosity fills Dexter, he enjoys the company of this new "playmate" and welcomes the challenge while admiring his opponent: this is more than just hunting a killer or being hunted by one...it's a friendly gesture of wits and Dexter accepts.

"Dexter: 'I suppose I should be upset. Even feel violated. But I'm not. No, in fact I think this is a friendly message. Kind of like...'Hey, wanna play?'. And yes, I wanna play. I really, really do...'"


 * "Crocodile"

What is believed to either be the same day or the next, after Dexter returns home from a swim in the river he gets a knock on the door from his sister Debra Morgan thus prompting him to remove the head from the fridge and place it in the freezer along with the body before answering the door (feeling that trying to explain it would be "awkward"). Deb comes in and explains that Lieutenant Maria LaGuerta has everyone out looking for a hidden Refrigerated Truck, while Deb personally feels that this guy would more likely hide it in plain sight than attempt veiling it. LaGuerta, still feeling a strong distaste for Deb, dumps her "witness" theory on Deb to keep searching for one rather than actively join the investigation. Dexter suggests that if Deb can find that truck, she'll find her golden ticket into homicide. After she heads out and Dexter prepares himself for court, he looks in the freezer once more to fiddle with the parts admiring the doll head while putting each body part in a position like a "puzzle", until he discovers that one of the hands has an oddity: each of the five fingernails is colored differently (pink, yellow, purple, orange and green). This frustrates Dexter in a sense because he has no idea what it means (at the time...).

The following day as Dexter is sleeping he receives a call from his sister saying that she found an Ice Truck (first time use of the word). Debra mentions that a cop named Juan Pierre called her about it following her mention of having Patrol keep an eye out on it. The truck was left there overnight and she asks Dexter if that was the truck he saw. He knows it is, but tells her that he wasn't sure (just to play along, he wants to keep the fact that the killer knows who he is a secret). She then notices that the truck's still on, something that results in Angel Batista as well as half the department arriving to turn it into a crime scene. They open up the back and step inside to notice a large ice block featuring the fingertips of a victim displayed perfectly in the center of the block in an surreal fashion. Dexter mentions that no blood was spilled, that the body was already drained beforehand then both he and Batista claim that it was done the old fashion way by slitting the jugular and hanging the body upside down to allow the heart to pump out the rest. Thomas Matthews arrives and learns that Debra Morgan was responsible for the find, so he asks LaGuerta to compliment her on his behalf. LaGuerta instead grills her over it, saying that another "stunt like that" will not end well for her.

As part of protocol and in an attempt to find any clue as to who the killer is, the police department orders the deconstruction of of the Refrigerated Truck. Dexter stands by watching, knowing that this guy is too careful to leave any evidence...because if it were him, he'd do the same. Debra walks up and makes the same observation, as the real focus is wheeled off to the side: the ice block featuring fingertips. Back at the lab, while Vince Masuka slowly melts the ice, Dexter waits anxiously to see what puzzle this killer has in store for the department. When enough of the ice clears to reveal the differently colored fingernails of each fingertip, it occurs to Dexter that these messages are meant specifically for him. The thrown head, the doll's hand painted different colors (like this victim's fingertips) have a connection. He feels that the killer is trying to impress him and he smiles, as he does feel impressed.

Dexter himself (in his mind) first says the name Ice Truck Killer while thinking about the murders in Miami. Shortly after finding the truck, the rest of the department begins using it. Interestingly, Brian does not use a Refrigerated Truck after this point yet the name sticks. Dexter confirms that the victim was already dead before she was relieved of her fingertips. Debra says she was ID'd as Sheri Taylor, another hooker.

Deb is called in to talk with Captain Thomas Matthews who has ordered Maria LaGuerta to transfer Deb out of Vice into Miami Metro Homicide due to her tremendous work on the case thus far. Debra is excited that she finally gets to pursue her dream and chase after the Ice Truck Killer as well. After Deb leaves, LaGuerta tells him she hopes he made the right decision. He replies that he promoted her, didn't he. He exits, stating that he wants this "Ice Truck Son of a Bitch" caught.

Dexter returns home following a congratulations dinner with his sister and places his recent victim Matt Chambers' blood slide in the box. As he turns around, he notices a startling sight. The doll head in the freezer is now stuck on its door again, proving that the killer had returned. Dexter opens the freezer and finds the entire body of the doll missing. He feels this is a message that he needs to come find the killer. Left with only the head, he begins to use it as an unusual key chain.


 * "Popping Cherry" and "Let's Give the Boy a Hand"

When leaving his latest victim at an ice hockey arena, Brian encountered security guard Tony Tucci, forcing Tony to leave the victim's body parts in the field goal before taking Tucci prisoner. While LaGuerta initially assumed that Tucci was the killer, this theory was disproved when Brian began to leave Tony's disembodied limbs in various locations around the city, selecting his locations based on places where Dexter had been photographed with the Morgans after studying Dexter's family photo album, specifically choosing locations whose names had changed since the original photographs were taken. Eventually tracking Tucci to the basement of the hospital where Harry Morgan's father had worked (the last photograph Dexter and Harry had taken together before Harry's illness left him incapacitated), Dexter discovered Tucci, blindfolded and begging for death. Dexter deduced that the Ice Truck Killer had left him Tucci as a 'gift', but Dexter refused to kill Tucci as he didn't fit the Code, instead leaving an anonymous tip for Debra to find him (so she could be the hero). Whether through chance or deliberate planning (most likely the latter), Brian, under the guise of Rudy Cooper, was the doctor assigned to provide Tucci with prosthetic limbs, but Tucci never recognized his abductor (Brian had him blind-folded and was most likely wearing a mask when he abducted him).


 * "Love American Style"

Shortly after Tucci's rescue, Neil Perry was arrested as evidence emerged suggesting that he was the Ice Truck Killer. Although he was able to provide detailed descriptions of the crimes, Dexter doubted his claim from the beginning as his taxidermy suggested an attempt at creating fake images that the real killer would regard as pathetic, with his theory being confirmed when he met Perry in person and Perry had no idea who he was. LaGuerta, sharing this belief, was able to confirm Perry's innocence when he freaked out when she presented him with a decapitated head while allegedly asking for his 'expert opinion'; Perry had hacked the department's computers and claimed to be the killer for the notoriety of it.


 * "Shrink Wrap"

Rudy is revealed as The Ice Truck Killer when he is seen dismembering a body in his kill room.


 * "Father Knows Best"

Brian keeps dating Dexter's sister by adoption, Debra Morgan, as a way of getting closer to Dexter. Debra falls in love with Brian, but feels discouraged when he starts showing more interest in Dexter than in her. Brian starts easing Dexter into the truth of their past by killing his birth father, so that Dexter will get his inheritance and start learning about his past.


 * "Seeing Red"

He continues to leave Dexter clues as the Ice Truck Killer, spraying a hotel room with blood to recreate the place their mother was murdered.


 * "Truth Be Told"

In the previous episode, Brian stabs Angel Batista when the detective finds clues to the Ice Truck Killer's identity, but Angel fights Brian off and survives. When Dexter discovers that Brian is the one who stabbed Angel, he realizes that Brian is The Ice Truck Killer. Brian kidnaps Debra after he proposes marriage to her..


 * "Born Free"

He leads Dexter to their old family home and reveals his true identity, their relationship as brothers, and the truth of their past. He tries to convince Dexter to join him in killing Debra, thus leaving his old life behind and starting a new life with his real brother, but Dexter stops him and saves his sister.

Brian later goes to Dexter's apartment, where he believes Debra is staying, and tries to kill her. However, it turns out to be a trap set by Dexter. He strangles Brian until he passes out and transports him to Brian's apartment, where he suspends him in the air, just as Brian did to his victims as the Ice Truck Killer. Brian tries to convince Dexter to set him free, telling his brother he can be free to be his true self with him. A frustrated Dexter loudly dismisses this, causing a single tear to run out of Brian's eyes. Dexter says he can't let Brian live because he knows he will always want to kill Debra. Brian continues to lecture Dexter on how he's being irrational and choosing to live a lie for people who will never really know or care about his real-self, instead of embracing his family who is just like him and accepts him for who he is, without apology. Dexter is tempted, but ultimately slices Brian's throat, telling him he can't hear anymore, while admitting Brian is right Dexter convinces the police that Brian committed suicide in the same way he committed his crimes; forensic evidence even supports this theory as the cut on his throat becomes notably less tight as it nears the end, which is assessed as the result of Brian dying as he inflicted the wound rather than Dexter's own reluctance at what he is doing. Dexter is the only person to mourn his brother's death and he did not take a souvenir blood slide.

Season Two
Season Two - The story picks up 38 days after the death of Brian Moser. It leads shortly into what is known as the Bay Harbor Butcher Case, when the FBI and Special Agent Frank Lundy become involved. Dexter begins to visualize his brother -- first, when Lundy compares the "Bay Harbor Butcher" (Dexter) to the Ice Truck Killer (Brian), and then during the funeral for Paul Bennett. Dexter is forced to deal with his inability to let go of his brother and his guilt for killing him. He even finds himself unable to kill a target. Brian is eventually "let go," but the aftermath remains throughout the season. Brian is often mentioned by other characters, including Debra Morgan as she tries to recover from being engaged to a serial killer.


 * "It's Alive!"

After he killed his brother, the one person who understood and accepted him, Dexter found himself in a rare state of mourning, so much so that he was unable to kill one person, and botched the kill of another target.


 * "Waiting to Exhale"

Dexter came to the realization that he could not forgive himself or kill again until he got rid of the reminders of his brother. This included the barbie doll head that Brian had left in Dexter's freezer. As Dexter dropped it into the water from his boat, it seemingly transformed into Brian who latched onto Dexter's hand. However, Dexter forced him to let go and Brian sank into the depths of the water, figuratively submerging his influence over Dexter.

Season Four
Brian's former lover, Debra Morgan, began an investigation into the past of The Ice Truck Killer.Through extensive research, she learned of Laura Moser and was shocked to discover Dexter's relation to Brian as his biological brother. She informed Dexter of this information (while he feigned ignorance). She also had to face the fact again that Brian was using her to get close to Dexter.

Season Six
Season Six - The Ice Truck Killer is referenced, including a reappearance by Brian Moser (as a representation of Dexter's urge to kill). Later, Louis Greene mails the Prosthetic Hand that once belonged to one of Brian's victims, Monique, to Dexter.

For the most part, the Ice Truck Killer case was buried. That was until a new intern in the Miami Metro Homicide forensics department came on scene, the beautiful young Ryan Chambers. As she got close to Vince Masuka, he eventually brought up the evidence from the Ice Truck Killer case for her to look through which delighted her. Ryan expressed her fascination with the case, having followed it since the details were made public. She even admitted to painting her fingernails to match the coloring that Brian used on his victims. Vince left the mannequin arm in the lab instead of returning it to the evidence locker, and it was stolen by Ryan who sold it on the internet. When Vince discovered this, he fired Ryan on the spot.

Masuka requested his new intern, Louis Greene, to find a way to get the prosthetic arm back. Unfortunately, it was too late to get it back (in reality, Louis was the one who had bought it). Louis erased all traces of it being for sale in the auction, as well as any evidence linking the department. With the Ice-Truck Case being closed, all seemed to be fine. Or so Masuka thought...

Brian was mentioned during the The Four Horsemen tableau crime scene, as Nathan Roberts' body had been cut into separate parts similar to Brian's M.O.




 * "Just Let Go"

Brian was seen clapping his hands after Dexter drowned Nick for the murder of Brother Sam. When Dexter walked back on the shore, Brian asked, "Hey, little brother. Miss me?"


 * "Nebraska"

Dexter's Dark Passenger was represented by Brian - a joking, energetic, evil man that sought fun, freedom, having no restraint on killing. When Dexter learned that The Trinity Killer supposedly killed his own wife and daughter in Nebraska, "Brian" urged him to investigate the event and kill Jonah Mitchell. Since Dexter had previously killed Trinity, Jonah was the only viable suspect for the crimes.

Under "Brian's guidance," Dexter killed the owner of the motel where he was staying after the man discovered and stole Dexter's knives. The man believed that Dexter was investigating his pot-growing business and tried to extort money from him. After Dexter impaled the man with a pitchfork, he admitted that he enjoyed seeing the life go out of his eyes. It didn't matter if the man had done anything to deserve death.

Soon after, when Dexter confronted Jonah, he realized that Jonah had actually only killed his mother out of rage. Her abuse and continued fixation with her lost husband had driven his sister to commit suicide. Brian (as his urge to kill) pressured Dexter to kill Jonah, anyway. Dexter refused, recognizing that Jonah had a conscience and didn't deserve death. With this conflict resolved, Dexter 'banished' Brian once again, with "Harry" reappearing to Dexter when he returned to Miami.

Season Seven

 * ":Sunshine and Frosty Swirl"

Debra connects the method that Dexter used to kill Travis Marshall to the same way that she was wrapped in plastic on Brian's kill table.This leads to her to discover that Dexter is the Bay Harbor Butcher.

Related Pages

 * Block of Ice
 * Dexter Morgan
 * Debra Morgan
 * Laura Moser
 * Refrigerated Truck
 * Laura Moser's House
 * Brian Moser's Residence
 * Shipping Yard Massacre
 * Ice Truck Killer Case
 * Rudy's Yacht
 * Prosthetic Hand

Trivia

 * Director Michael Cuesta pushed casting actor Jeremy Remmer as the Ice Truck Killer, but despite the showrunners' enthusiasm Renner was still reluctant after he had already played real-life serial killer Jeffrey Dahmer in the biographical feature film Dahmer and ultimately scheduling conflicts with the sci-fi feature film 28 Weeks Later prevented him from taking the role.
 * In close-captioning, Dexter's nickname for Brian is spelled "Bynie" in "Born Free" and "Biney" in "Waiting to Exhale." In the novel, Darkly Dreaming Dexter, it's spelled as "Biney."
 * Despite Brian being Dexter's older brother, Christian Camargo, the actor who portrays him, is actually younger than Michael C. Hall, the actor who portrays Dexter, albeit only by a few months.
 * Brian may be ambidextrous. In "Shrink Wrap", he is seen moving his computer mouse with his left hand. However, in the very next episode, "Father Knows Best", he is seen "playing" air guitar right-handed.
 * During his childhood, Dexter addressed Brian as "Bynie," because he had trouble correctly pronouncing his name.
 * Dexter's darkness manifests as Brian, interacting with things, such as eating, tossing body parts into the ocean, and stabbing a man with a pitchfork. ("Nebraska")
 * Brian was the first of Dexter's victims that he did not take a sample of blood from, except for those he killed before he started to take blood slides.
 * Brian Moser is the only antagonist to be related to Dexter.
 * Of note, he is the only serial killer to appear in both the Dexter Novels and the television series. In the series, he is mentioned in every season by either Dexter or Debra Morgan, except in season eight. There is, instead, a visual nod to him in the series finale in the form of a Miami Chills ice box

The Novels
Main article: Brian Moser (Novels)


 * The Ice Truck Killer in the TV series is the counterpart of the Tamiami Butcher (or variant Tamiami Slasher) in the Dexter Novels.

TV Appearances
Season One


 * "Dexter" (concealed in shadow, driving truck)
 * "Crocodile" (killing spree only)
 * "Popping Cherry" (killing spree only)
 * "Let's Give the Boy a Hand" (concealed in shadow)
 * "Love American Style" (as Rudy Cooper)
 * "Return to Sender" (concealed in shadow)
 * "Circle of Friends" (as Rudy Cooper)
 * "Shrink Wrap" (as Rudy Cooper and shown as The Ice Truck Killer)
 * "Father Knows Best" (as Rudy Cooper and shown as Cable Repair Man/The Ice Truck Killer)
 * Seeing Red" (as Rudy Cooper and shown as The Ice Truck Killer)
 * "Truth Be Told" (as Rudy Cooper and shown as The Ice Truck Killer)
 * "Born Free" (as himself; killed)

Season Two


 * "Waiting to Exhale" (in Dexter's thoughts; Dexter told him to RIP)

Season Six


 * "Just Let Go" (appeared as Dexter's darkness, after Dexter killed Nick)
 * "Nebraska" (vanished after Dexter refused to kill Jonah)