| " "You think you're different than me? You're not different. I can read it all over your face. You love it as much as I do" ~ Levi Reed to Dexter" |
Levi Reed is a character in the Showtime series Dexter: Original Sin.
Referred to by police as the Home Invasion Killer, he is responsible for a series of home invasions that led to the murders of eight people, including two children. He is arrested shortly after and stands trial, where a dismissal of a witness results in his freedom. This freedom however is short lived as Dexter Morgan sets his eyes on Levi as his next victim.
Chronologically he is the First Serial Killer shown in the franchise, predating Nurse Mary and the N.H.I Killer in appearance however he is not targeted until the accidental death of Dexter's intended third victim Anthony Moretti. Following his need to kill and after proving he is capable of handling this perfectly, Levi becomes his new intended third victim with Harry Morgan's blessing. With his death and the pattern of three victims, Dexter officially becomes a Serial Killer himself.
Background[]
Levi Reed was born on November 10th, 1953. Much of his history is unknown though prior to his arrest he possessed an extensive breaking and entering rap sheet suggesting he's been a criminal for a majority of his life. Harry remarks that he's experienced, prepared...so he knew how to cover his tracks using booties over his shoes. It's unknown if he killed anyone prior to the Home Invasion Murders though given his confession to Dexter at the end of his life it's suggested he may have had experience prior as he intentionally chose to kill each of the families he came across.
Summary[]
In 1990 and 1991 he perpetrated a series of home invasions across three counties that led to the deaths of eight people, the last of which was the Shapiro Family, a family of three (two parents and one daughter, all shot). These murders would all turn out to be intentional parts of each robbery, as Levi wanted to watch each victim beg for their lives before he ended them. On the night of the third set of murders he only left two pieces of evidence - a trail of muddy footprints matching someone his height and a single partial fingerprint. He would later have his girlfriend provide an alibi that he was with her that entire night, which would have been ineffective had Harry not dismissed it due to the condition she was in. Levi was initially arrested for the crimes but eventually freed due to the dismissal and landed on Dexter's radar as a result.
Dexter: Original Sin[]
Captain Aaron Spencer arrives at the home of his most recent victims and asks for a sitrep. According to Bobby Watt the killer used a box cutter to gain entry through the back screen porch and Angel Batista confirms that he shot the parents point black and the little girl in the back as she tried to run up the stairs. Harry Morgan's examination of the scene reveals that he pilfered their belongings (cash, jewelry, cards) and that it was a killer operating alone based on the single set of muddy footprints throughout the house - the killer was experienced, prepared. Wore booties to cover his shoes which negated being able to trace the tread marks. Of particular interest...after murdering the family, Levi chose to turn off the TV leaving a partial print on the on/off switch of the remote control.
Later on during a briefing which displays a board featuring various photos of the victims and maps of the areas where the crimes took place Captain Spencer grills his detectives over the ordeal. He's infuriated that this man has gotten away with killing eight people, especially two children and does not want another victim to crop up. Forensics Head Tanya Martin arrives and gives them good news - the identity of the fingerprint left at the scene (the partial matched 4 people total but the only one capable of doing this was Levi Reed). Harry says that they need to move now, which Spencer concurs and they organize a SWAT raid on his home.
Levi is seen taking a shower, singing the lyrics to "Ice Ice Baby" by Vanilla Ice while Harry, Spencer and Bobby along with the swat unit close in on his house. Before they can bust down the door Harry notes to check to see if it's open (which it was) and this allows them to enter the property without alerting Levi in his shower. They quickly capture him without much hassle and handcuff him, which his only words are "Yo...shoes!" to which Harry and Spencer berate him for having murdered two children and deny his request, marching him out of the house (in a towel).
Levi appears alongside his attorney during a hearing, where Judge Francisco Torres wishes to hear the defendant's plea - to which Levi declares "Not Guilty", before his attorney nudges him and he adds "Your Honor". Harry and Spencer are in the courtroom during this hearing, with the Captain joking that if Levi isn't guilty then he's Burt Reynolds. After court is adjourned, Spencer departs first while Levi and Harry stare each other down as he leaves the courtroom.
Later on his girlfriend, Brandi Silvera, is seen with Harry trying to provide an alibi for the Shapiro Family murders claiming that he was with her the entire night. Due to her inebriated state Harry laughs off her claims, verifying how unreliable she could be when he asks her to confirm what day it is and she guesses wrong (she says Tuesday, Harry claims it's Thursday). After she grows agitated and Harry's had enough he asks Officer Clark to escort her back outside the station and she glares at him as she leaves.
Levi's photo can be seen on the board from prior to his arrest during the press conference Captain Spencer has with the public in regard to Jimmy Powell's kidnapping. Later on after the press conference Spencer tells Harry that the court date for Levi Reed is coming up, asking if he got anything out of Ms. Silvera but Harry dismisses her as an addict who didn't know what day of the week it was. Aaron nods, confident that it will be an open and shut case.
Prior to the court appearance Harry practices with a woman named Elaine who rehearses what he might be expected to hear when he testifies. Harry repeats that based on the evidence, verified by Tanya Martin and her team, Levi Reed was the most likely suspect. Everyone confident that he'll be able to seal the deal on this case Harry, Spencer, Bobby Watt and Angel Batista all arrive at court with Harry taking the stand to give his testimony. The defense lawyer Alan Barnes gets the same testimony from Harry, which he tries to object by saying they "profiled" Mr. Reed based on his past history but it's sustained. Eventually Barnes turns it over to his associate Carol Sheers who turns on the projector, showing the Shapiro Family Home. As she questions Harry in regard to the evidence, she hints that there's something he hasn't mentioned and looks to the door of the courtroom where a newly rejuvenated Brandi Silvera walks in. Now cleaned up, wearing a dress suit and makeup...Harry is asked if he recognizes this woman twice before he realizes who she is. He then goes on to confirm that he dismissed her as a drug addict again who couldn't remember what day of the week it was. Both Sheers and Judge Torres question Harry's decision to reject a potential witness and that Mr. Reed deserves a fair and honest trial, to which he makes the decision to both apologize to Mr. Reed on the behalf of the Miami Dade justice system and moves to dismiss the case entirely, which frees Levi immediately. He celebrates in joy with his attorneys as well as his girlfriend, embracing as those around him cheer him on. The opposite side of the courtroom is another matter...solemn, disappointed in Harry's judgement...and he's left to sit in defeat as he watches Levi leave the courtroom, a grin plastered across his face as he kicks open the courtroom doors to leave.
Later that night Harry heads to a bar, becoming heavily drunk after he has a chat with Spencer who "saved his ass" from being fired though he's been moved off the Powell case and down to the bottom where Detective Maria LaGuerta was working. Harry can't deal with the fact that his mistake allowed a killer to walk free, to which Spencer drinks to the fact that sometimes the killers slip through the cracks...Harry displeased that he created that crack. After thanking Spencer for saving his job while he's leaving, Harry proceeds to continue drinking until it's late night. At some point he leaves the bar and heads to Levi's house, waiting in his car while Levi is outside hanging around some people. When they head inside and Levi's alone, his back turned as he plants to urinate...Harry steps out of his car and slowly stumbles his way closer to Levi, stopping in the street pointing a silenced pistol at Levi's back. Due to his intoxication he can't see straight and has trouble catching his aim, which allows his son Dexter Morgan to knock him out with a dosage of M99.
Harry wakes up in a makeshift kill room as Dexter explains how he's solved an issue with his victims waking up and even details the workings of his kill room to a degree among other conversation pieces. Eventually he frees Harry and gives him his clothes, before telling him that Levi Reed is his problem now...that this is what Harry "made him for" and Harry, more than anyone before this, gives his blessing to take care of Reed for him.
With Dexter having permission to go after Levi, he can be seen looking over pictures from several of his deceased victims. He monologues to himself that for Levi Reed - he deserved to die, he has seen all the evidence he needs to determine this. "Because of Harry's mistake in court, he slipped through the cracks...but there was no doubt: He Fit the Code." Still...a part of him knew that with this kill being number three that it would officially make him into a Serial Killer and that it was a big decision. He looks up Levi's arrest record, then skips to the victim list - where he proceeds to print out a copy (which gets eaten up and leads to a subsequent talk with Clark Sanders who he will later run into the night he catches Levi but it doesn't connect to Levi beyond that run-in).
Later that night he stalks Levi at the Deuces Wild bar - admitting that with Levi being a big dude and the stalking thing being new to him, made this a challenge yet an exciting one. He sits at the bar and watches as Levi sits across the crowded room to a table. Levi's enjoying a drink with his girlfriend Brandi, before the two of them start playing a game of darts. Dexter watches Levi in this moment, learning from how Levi handled Brandi and just living in his own natural element - it seemed normal outside of his murders...something Dexter was struggling with. As he wonders if Levi's moves work on a woman (which later on Dexter utilizes it with his girlfriend Sophia to success) Levi brings Brandi to the restroom where she gives him a blowjob (also Dexter's own outcome later on)...and the two leave out to the street. Dexter, now on the hunt, pursues them at various points along their journey down the Miami streets all the while remaining undetected as Levi was drunk and wouldn't recognize some guy he'd never met multiple times. Eventually he tracks him to an alley, where he lets Brandi into the car before taking a piss on the nearby wall - prompting Dexter's quip that "Levi Reed really did liked to leave his mark on the world".
Dexter returns to Miami Metro Records where he snaps photos of each of Levi's victims from the case files on hand. After collecting the necessary additions to his forming Ritual...Dexter stalks Levi from his home via his truck then on foot throughout the city streets intent on capturing him. As he follows Levi he is briefly cut off by a Refrigerated Truck that catches Dexter's attention before he resumes pursuit. He runs into Clark during the pursuit and given the awkward situation caught outside a gay bar, Dexter's able to play off a quick reason to keep moving without Clark's suspicion. While it appears he briefly lost Levi, he ends up returning to his car while singing the lyrics to "I've been thinking about you" by Londonbeat. As he had done so many times before...he begins to piss on a wall. The thing is...Dexter was already there waiting in the dark. Levi leads into a lyric that "I've been thinking about you" and Dexter walks up with a syringe of M99 catching his attention by adding "I've been thinking about you too". Levi spins around only to be jabbed in the chest with the syringe - falling back into a dumpster where he slides down next to the rest of the trash. Dexter proceeds to load his body up in his truck and drives him out to the emptied out Shapiro Family House which had foresale signs out front - a fitting location for Levi's Kill Room.
| " "Why did you kill them?! You could've robbed them when nobody was home, but you chose a time when they'd be there." ~ Dexter *boastful laughing* "Yeah...I wanted to see them beg for their lives. See the fear in their eyes. Especially the little ones. You think you're different from me? You're not different. I can read it all over your face. You love it just as much as I do." - Levi's last words" |
Dexter prepared a monologue about becoming a serial killer and confronted Levi with his victims, demanding he know why he didn't just rob them when they weren't home. Levi boasts without remorse, a smile on his face...that he wanted to see them beg. To see the fear in their eyes, especially the kids. Dexter prepares his knife but Levi halts him by asking if Dexter believes he's different from him - he loves killing just as much as he does, he can see it all over his face. Dexter does take a moment to ponder this...but decides that Levi Reed deserves this...and prepares a faceshield as he walks back to Levi who is now struggling to get free from the plastic wrap. Dexter plunges the knife into his chest, causing a blood spray that flies back on Dexter's apron and face mask. After he pulls the knife off and releases after the kill...he packs his body and heads out to Alligator Alley.
Aftermath[]
After Dexter killed Levi, with the intent to bring his body to the Alligator Alley to dump with his previous victims, he loaded his body up into his truck with a covering over the bed and drove into the swamps. Before reaching the alligator den where he dumped Nurse Mary and Tony Ferrer he noticed the police head of him. He was directed to stop and roll down his window. Dexter thinks quickly and presents his forensics badge, which allows him clearance onto the scene. As it turns out Detective Maria LaGuerta and Vince Masuka were already present at the scene. Masuka knocks on Dexter's window and has him come out, tasking him with fingerprinting an arm that was found.
When Dexter approaches he instantly recognizes it as Tony Ferrer's severed arm, from not being completely consumed by the Alligators. After some objection to fingerprints due to the condition of the arm, Masuka tells him to do it anyways as he's in charge when Tanya Martin is not around - so Dexter prepares the kit while Vince and LaGuerta head off with their backs turned. Realizing that his time is running short considering Levi Reed's corpse was in his truck - he took advantage of a nearby alligator to consume the arm, which nobody wishes to go after. Masuka talks about getting food and LaGuerta asks if he's hungry, to which he declines. He monologues that he'd love to eat but he "still had garbage to take out."
Early into the morning Dexter drives to a dump, where he is concealed by shade as he drags Levi's corpse wrapped in plastic tarp from the truck to a nearby dumpster. He then lifts the body up and dumps it inside, choosing to jump in after to cover it with as much garbage as he can. Nearby a truck can be heard approaching, prompting Dexter to hurry up and hop out, getting away to go park his truck in the shade. He watches as the garbage truck dumps Levi's body into its compactor and drives off in front of him bidding him "good riddance, Levi Reed" as he disposes of a banana peel out the window. Later a montage showing large bulldozers can be seen sorting trash within a landfill...
| " "Three hours from now his body would be lost in a sea of trash. Right where it belonged" ~ Dexter, on Levi Reed's disposal" |
Later that day after some awkward interactions due to the horrible smell Dexter had on him from the dumpster, he would explain to Harry what had happened and how he almost got caught with Levi's body in the back of his truck. Dexter assures him that everything was handled but Harry drives several good points as he reprimands him over the danger...such as what would have happened if they needed to use his truck for anything, even to give Masuka a lift as a suggestion. He gives him a serious look and begs that the body isn't in the truck right now...which Dexter assures him that he's buried in a landfill by now. Harry takes a breath but also steps back due to the smell...telling him that he dodged a bullet this time. That his goal should be is to not get shot at. Harry tells him to shower and burn the clothes...as he sits down to smoke a cigarette to deal with the stress of hearing his son killed yet another victim and almost got caught.
As one final nod to the dumpster dive's fallout...Dexter is stopped from leaving by his girlfriend Sophia, whom she informs about the crime scene he was at...her anger switches to concern and then she begins kissing him until she discovers a condom wrapper in his car. She picks it up and looks at him, angry over it...proceeding to break up with him and storm off...and ultimately created a rift between Sophia and Debra Morgan, which ultimately pushes her closer to Gio Martino when she feels she has nobody.
Motive[]
Levi had a history of breaking and entering among other burglary related crimes. With experience he learned to wear booties over his shoes to cover his tracks, giving forensics little to follow when trying to pin down the culprit. At some point he decided to kill the inhabitants of one of his home invasions and relished in watching them beg for their lives with fear in their eyes (in particular the "little ones" - meaning the children). It's unknown if he intended this from the moment he entered the first victims' home or during the invasion he made the choice but the next two home invasion sites he specifically chose times where the family was home so that he could act.
Modus Operandi[]
Based on the crimes he appears to have murdered everyone with a handgun, generally shot in either the forehead or in the chest (in the case of the Shapiro's daughter he shot her in the back).
Victims[]
Each of the victims was said to be part of a family at the home's Levi invaded. The victim list has differing last names for all the victims except the Shapiro family, though it's possible the families had more complexities that allowed multiple inhabitants per home. According to one file Jared Chestnut and Austin Ashburn were listed together while Henry Fox and Jennifer McDonnel were listed on another. This would leave Tarek Murphy at an unknown location though he may have been at either of those two crime scenes.
- Tarek Murphy - Unknown time of death
- Jennifer McDonnel - Found deceased on May 2nd, 1990
- Henry Fox - Found deceased on May 2nd, 1990
- Austin Ashburn - Found deceased on August 15th, 1990
- Jared Chestnut - Found deceased on August 15th, 1990
- Steve Shapiro - May of 1991
- Charlotte Shapiro - May of 1991
- Laura Shapiro - May of 1991
Related Pages[]
Gallery of Victims[]
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Trophies[]
No known trophies were kept from his victims, though it's possible he could have kept something in his house it's just never elaborated on.
Attempted Victims[]
None, though had Dexter not intervened it's possible he would have targeted another family to murder and rob.
Appearances[]
Note: In "Every Silver Lining..." Harry Morgan describes Dexter's third victim to Evelyn Vogel dropping a very specific detail: the first time he showed the victim photos to a victim. While circumstances and crimes described are very different, it is possible that given Harry's state and events directly following the kill he omits a lot of details to try and evade Vogel questioning his own motives and asking him more on Levi Reed situation.
Dexter: Original Sin[]
- "And in the Beginning..."
- "Kid in a Candy Store"
- "Miami Vice" (photograph)
- "F is for Fuck-Up"
- "The Joy of Killing" (death)
Notes[]
- Unlike his previous victims Dexter did not investigate Levi Reed for 100% proof of his crimes - he was already confident of it due to the evidence collected by his father and Homicide with him only being freed due to dismissing an alibi from someone who appeared to be under the influence of drugs. As he looks over the photos and files of the victims he states that Levi fits the code - without a doubt and begins planning the kill.
- During the episode in which he hunts Levi, Dexter does stalk him in a bar and follows him on foot throughout the streets of Miami until he and Brandi get into a car. Later on he collects files on each of the eight victims and proceeds with the abduction that evening - he never tries to enter Levi's residence to look for proof like he did with Tony Ferrer or Anthony Moretti. This marks the first time Dexter did not need to enter a victim's home to verify guilt.
- Just as with Tony Ferrer, being an early victim, Reed is a lot of notable firsts for Dexter:
- Levi is the first of Dexter's intended victims to appear chronologically prior to him targeting them, as he does not become a target until after he attempted to kill Anthony Moretti (Mag-Dog) and his death offered no "release" from his dark passenger. This means that from his first appearance to his death he lasted six of the ten episodes in the season he appears (though only physically appeared in four - potentially five once Dexter disposes of his corpse).
- He is also the first victim which Dexter utilized many of his later trademark techniques, having used the experiences of his previous kills to perfect the third and most important one that transitioned him into a serial killer. He previously practiced these methods with his father Harry, who had intended to kill Levi himself.
- He is the first to be sedated with M99, which solved the problem of either knocking out the victim with his fists, blunt objects or through a sleeper hold (though they would remain in his arsenal as last resorts if needed). The method of injection differs however as he faced Levi directly and injected him in the chest, having caught him by surprise taking one of his trademark pisses.
- He is the first victim that Dexter chose to isolate and kidnap before driving to a kill room. Where with his three previous intended victims (two of which he killed himself) he chose to wait inside their homes to grab them (which led to two struggles and the third escaping from the kill room, which eventually led cops to check out the house). He then drives Levi to the house of the Shapiro family, opting not to use his home similar to Ferrer before him (though much more isolated, as the home was now for sale following their murder).
- He is the first victim Dexter uses smelling salts on, as Harry recommended it following the practice run in order to wake up his victims faster rather than wait around. He was forced to wait for Mary and Ferrer to wake up while Mad-Dog woke up too soon - the M99 combined with smelling salts allows Dexter to be in complete control over any kill room as he can choose exactly when he's ready for his victim to awaken.
- He strips down Levi and uses plastic wrap to trap him on the table, having utilized this on Harry realizing that a strong enough layer can hold anyone down. Granted this is a method he has utilized since Mary as Ferrer was also held to a table in plastic and Mad-Dog would have been the same way had he not tried to escape. The wrap is enough to keep Levi in place, though he struggles with all of his might to break free. While generally the wrap holds the only instance where this has failed him was against Little Chino who simply proved to be too strong for the standard amount of plastic wrap (his recapture doubled up on it).
- Levi is the first victim to show neither fear nor remorse on the table, as both Nurse Mary and Tony Ferrer before him justified their murders while Levi intentionally planned to kill them as they begged for their lives. He even laughs and remarks in a singsongy way how much he loves killing.
- Levi is the first victim to point out that that he's not that different to Dexter which, given the nature of Dexter's victim profile happens rather often later on. He relates to him in that they both enjoy the act of killing, singing that he loves it as much as he does.
- Despite being threatened with a knife, as other victims of Dexter would face similar threats to either shut them up or get them to talk, Levi shows absolutely no reflex to the act and simply calls Dexter out for what he is - a serial killer like himself. This is a rare trait as many of Dexter's victims are terrified on the table, pleading to be spared. Instead he continues to struggle to break free up until the moment he's killed, continuing the conversation with Dexter between his attempts.
- Levi is the first victim and antagonist that significantly towers over Dexter in height which is a notable feature of several main (Arthur Mitchell and Kurt Caldwell) and secondary (Little Chino and Ray Speltzer) antagonists of the series.
- In a rare occurrence for a murderer outside main antagonists, Levi Reed appears in at least four episodes with his picture and corpse additionally seen in other two episodes.
- Neil Perry is another (alleged) murderer who had multiple on-screen appearances or mentions throughout the first season of the original series. Like Levi Reed, he was also arrested and wore an orange jump suit however he claimed full responsibility for the Ice Truck Killer Case where as Reed maintained that he was innocent.
- A frequent trait he possessed was to "leave his mark on the world" as Dexter would put it - he had a tendency to urinate on walls in public, even outside his own home.
- Dexter picked up his first clues on how to handle a woman in his adult years by watching Levi with his girlfriend Brandi at a bar. During his stalk he noticed that Levi went behind Brandi to help steady her aim when throwing at a dart board, which Dexter would later utilize with Sofia when he went on a double date with his sister Debra and her boyfriend Gio Martino.
- Levi likes to sing as indicated by singing Vanilla Ice's "Ice Ice Baby" and later, in a sing-songy tone, when he remarks how Dexter loves killing as much as he does.
Gallery[]
