Phil Bosso

Phillip Bosso is a character in Season Seven of the Showtime series DEXTER.

He is an Arson Investigator who works with Miami Metro Homicide at fire-related crime scenes. He's a somewhat quirky individual.

Description
Phil is a Caucasian male in his 40s. He has a receding hairline of combed back hair and bright blue eyes. His work attire consists of a white uniformed shirt, black dress pants and shoes. On his shirt, he wears a badge and identifying patches.

When not working, he often participates in Civil War reenactments, donning a Confederate uniform.

Personality
Phil is an intelligent man who is good at his job. He is well versed in arson and describes what it feels like for a person to die in a fire. On occasion, he rudely interrupts others to correct them.

Summary

 * "Helter Skelter"

Dexter is called to a crime scene. Sergeant Angel Batista, Vince Masuka and Angie Miller are standing near a charred car, burned from the inside, with a scorched corpse sitting upright in the driver's seat. Dexter asks if he can get a closer look and, upon doing so, Phil Bosso pops up outside the passenger side, hitting the door. He says he'd rather Dexter not do that, at least until he's done. His sudden appearance startles Dexter and Batista snickers.

Phil leans into the back passenger door. He finds an empty can of accelerant under the seat, and detects an oily residue around the interior. He also locates an ID badge, which he hands to Batista. Lieutenant Debra Morgan arrives and asks what's going on, only to have Phil pop up out of the car startling her, like he did with Dexter. He reintroduces himself to her, saying that they met a while back at the "church burning" (when Travis Marshall died). The victim is revealed to be Danny Yamiro, a Paralegal who works downtown.

When Phil states that he thinks it's a suicide, Masuka suggests that it is "harikari" by "self-immolation." Phil corrects him, saying that it's actually "self-incineration," because immolation covers more than just fire. Dexter examines the backseat and questions him about the burn rate, asking if he's sure it's suicide (suggesting possible murder). Phil mocks Dexter a bit by asking if he's the blood guy. Dexter confirms this, and Phil simply says, "Exactly" (hinting that since he is the arson investigator, he knows more about a fire crime scene than someone who specializes in blood).

Dexter arrives at another crime scene, this time in the parking lot for Miami South University. A burned body sits inside an elevator, and Phil is already examining it when Dexter enters. The victim is ID'd as Leo Santolongo, a college grad student who (according to Quinn) was "one punch away from getting a free coffee at the student union." According to Phil, the same accelerant was used at this crime scene -- a petroleum-based construct, which leaves an oily residue. Phil adds that, typically with a suicide by fire, the fuel is poured over the head. In this case, the head is indeed the fire's point of origin.

Dexter notices something, and tells the team to close the elevator doors, leaving him and Phil alone in the elevator. With the doors closed, Dexter is able to read the word "Bobby" on the wall, which possibly indicates the name of the killer. Phil stares at the burned corpse, deep in thought. He tells Dexter that if someone was responsible for this, the person had to have been wearing a protective suit. Dexter deduces that the killer wanted to watch his victim burn alive. Phil tells him that it's not as horrific as one might think, because "destruction of vital tissue and nerve endings quickly induce shock or asphyxiation, making the event relatively painless." Dexter skeptically replies, "Relatively." Phil then knocks on the elevator door to be let out and retrieve his camera.


 * "The Dark... Whatever"

Dexter arrives at another crime scene where arson has killed a mother and six-year-old girl in a bathroom. A few people are giving varying descriptions of a suspect. Masuka cannot find any DNA or prints, and Phil says that the same accelerant was used as in the other fires. Quinn mentions that the word "Bobby" was scribbled in the soot. Debra suggests that since the word "Bobby" has been found five times at arson scenes in the last two weeks, it might be the killer signing his name. Dexter notices that Phil isn't bothered by the sight of a dead child, prompting him to wonder if Phil is the killer, himself.

Later, Phil gives a presentation at Miami Metro Homicide concerning the recent arson crimes. He describes the suspect as likely "male, egocentric, manipulative, possibly in or on the outskirts of law enforcement, methodical, fastidious in appearance, poor social skills." Dexter notes that Phil's profile of the Phantom Arsonist could describe himself. Phil looks down at his notes and adds "hands-on learner, and prone to self-aggrandizement." Debra asks the team about their progress, mentioning that seven people have been killed at this point.

When Dexter looks into Phil's background, he discovers that Phil has located a fire's origin point 92% of the time. He wonders if Phil is just great at his job, or if he's the one who started the fires. Dexter tails Phil to a park and walks over to his SUV. When he looks inside, Dexter sees electric fuses and camping fuel, which can be used to start a fire. Suddenly, Phil appears wearing a Confederate uniform. He excitedly asks Dexter if he's also a Civil War reenactor, and Dexter plays along. Phil takes out his phone and shows Dexter pictures of a previous Civil War event that he attended. This gives Phil an alibi and Dexter realizes that he isn't The Phantom Arsonist. He is just someone who's good at his job...and a little strange.

Next, The Phantom Arsonist sets fire to a public bus, which kills three people. The words "It's Bobby" are found at the scene. Debra finds it creepy when Phil sniffs a corpse for accelerant and she tells Dexter that he could be the killer. However, Dexter insists that Phil is not the arsonist, and admits that he had checked him out.

Related Pages

 * Joe Jensen (The Phantom Arsonist)
 * Phantom Arsonist Case
 * Danny Yamiro
 * Leo Santolongo
 * Burly Man

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)

Trivia

 * Phil had previously met with Lieutenant Debra Morgan concerning the fire at Santa Maria de Loreto. At the time, Phil was not shown, but one firefighter was there in full retardant gear. Vince Masuka confirmed that Phil was at the scene when he mentioned that the Arson Investigator stated that the fire started in the middle of the church. The melted remains of the gas cans confirmed it.