Joe Jensen

Joe Jensen aka The Phantom Arsonist is a character in Season Seven of the Showtime series DEXTER.

He was a killer who burned his victims alive.

Dexter Morgan dubbed Jensen as "The Phantom Arsonist" after he noticed a void in the scorched area surrounding the first two victims, with the name "Bobby" mysteriously written in soot.

History

 * 1998

When he was twelve, Joe helped his best friend, Bobby Hamilton, set their school's gym on fire, in which Bobby was inadvertently killed. When the fire was over, Joe was caught by the police and sent to a juvenile facility for six years, while blaming Bobby for it. During his time at juvie, he would often fight with the other children.


 * 2000

Two years after his imprisonment, Joe set his roommate's bunk on fire. His privileges were suspended for two months and he was forced to live in an individual room with higher supervision.


 * 2006

Joe was sent to a psychiatric facility for six years.


 * 2011

He was released, a month before the fires started.

Summary

 * "Helter Skelter" (killing spree starts)

The first arson victim is thought by arson investigator Phil Bosso to have died by self-incineration (a form of suicide).

At the second crime scene (in an elevator), Dexter Morgan notices that a void is present in the soot and suggests that someone was responsible for the man's death. The word "Bobby" is marked in ashes.


 * "The Dark... Whatever"

The third shown crime scene is in the restroom at a restaurant, killing a mother and her young daughter.

Angel Batista interviews Jensen at the police station because he is a janitor at the "Y" in Brickell Bay where the Phantom Arsonist set the first fire. Jenson says he didn't see anything while he was making rounds that night until he saw the fire trucks.

The fourth shown crime scene is a bus that Jensen sets on fire which kills three people.

Initially, Dexter suspects Investigator Phil Bosso to be the killer, but clears him. He then tracks down Joe Jensen in a juvenile database, by using his fingerprint from the bus.

Dexter sets up a kill room in Jensen's house and almost kills him, until he realizes that both he and Joe and blame their killings on childhood trauma. Also, he had promised Debra that he wouldn't take a another case from her. Dexter then cuts Joe loose, knocks him out, and anonymously calls the police. When Debra arrives at the scene, she realizes that Dexter had left Joe to be arrested.

Victims

 * Danny Yamiro (car) - Nov. 22
 * Leo Santolongo (parking lot elevator) - Nov. 28
 * George Lee - Dec. 4
 * Chris Thomas - Dec. 7
 * Rhodes Mason - Dec. 10
 * C. Patterson (Dixie's Restaurant) - Dec. 12
 * I. Patterson (Dixie's Restaurant) - Dec. 12
 * Burly Man (transit bus) - Dec. 14
 * Two unnamed victims (transit bus) - Dec. 14

Crime Scenes

 * Burned-Out Car (1st shown crime scene)
 * Parking Garage Elevator (2nd shown crime scene)
 * Dixie's Restaurant (3rd shown crime scene)
 * Burning Bus (4th shown crime scene)

Related Pages

 * Phil Bosso (fire inspector)
 * Phantom Arsonist Case

Trivia

 * Dexter sets up the kill room in Jensen's basement . However, homes in South Florida do not have basements because of a high water table.