Maybe the Feds can do that with a Federal database, but it seems really doubtful that 50 state databases can be commonly searched.
Even better… the resolution actually improves as they zoom in.
It did seem to take about a minute or so. If you recall, he sat there fidgeting and then got up and took those meds from Vince while he was waiting for the program to find a match. Remember, if it averages 10 minutes, that means it typically takes between 0 and 20 minutes.
The 10 minute number was for local departments making a request on the federal database. The federal database includes info gathered by participating local authorities.
Yeah, I know. Anyone who works with databases knows that graphics take up a huge amount of space. If anything, a search that quick would bring up a text record, and then he’d have to contact MN state to get a copy of the driver’s license picture.
Oh, and why exactly does a blood splatter expert have authority to run a fingerprint search? And if Quinn is so suspicious of Dexter, why doesn’t he just install a $30 keystroke recording program onto his work computer?
And why does a tourist information center have bars on the windows? And why would they put one in the middle of nowhere? And how unbelievable is it that he guessed that password for the Uhaul trucking company that led him to the Road Kill dude in the first place?
And why does Dexter keep doing boneheaded things like making cell phone calls at the sites of his kills? Anyone who watches Forensic Files knows that they can put you within a few miles of the crime scene using cell phone tower records. And he doesn’t case it in plastic, so there’s nothing to stop the blood evidence from getting on his phone.
And why does he keep searching things that would lead right to him on his personal and work computer?
Honestly, the holes are glaring, but you have to suspend your disbelief or it’ll drive you nuts.
I’m at work, so I don’t have time to pick this a part, but I have two broad answers for you. First, the tourist center was shut down and fenced in. They probably put the bars on the windows to keep people out of it. Second, WRT all of the Dexter questions you raised, I think a big part of it is that no one is looking for him and he typically kills people that won’t be missed to begin with. It doesn’t matter if there’s blood on his phone if no one is going to be checking it.
Also, the database thing you mention. The first thing I thought was “that search would probably run about 10 times faster if it didn’t have to display each fingerprint as it checked it.”
They kind of cover this, Dexter has to plant the water bottle as part of the La Muerta investigation, he can’t just run the prints himself.
I doubt cops can install stuff on their computers without the permission of IT. And in anycase, Quinn doesnt seem like the computer savy type.
There’s lots of tourist traps near the everglades.
Not answering his phone would probably raise suspicions as well, though. And he’s usually careful enough to keep the crimescene clean enough that it cant be identified after the fact.
I’d agree with you in the beginning. But with Trinity and the Roadkill Killer, he befriended folks who WOULD be missed… and he interacted with them in very public places. Trinity was so high-profile, the FBI used roadblocks to try and snare him.
Trinity’s disappearance is still unsolved, and he was a known serial killer, so the FBI isn’t going to give up on searching for him. They’d still presumably follow up on the Kyle Butler mystery, even if Quinn didn’t. If Dexter is ever identiifed as Kyle Butler, that would lead them to try to ferret out why he used a fake name and what his connection to Trinity was…which might lead to them searching his computer and tracking his cell phone to see if he was ever in the same area as the murders, blah blah blah.
Then we have the Roadkill Killer. Surely Miami-Dade would realize that one of their workers was missing, and eventually send the cops to his house, who’d then discover evidence of sexual slavery. That would lead them to ask questions and maybe send out a public notice, blah blah blah. Not only did Dexter meet him at the public restaurant, but he went riding around with him all day. People have eyes, and Dexter is pretty distinctive looking.
So, anyway, I know I’m putting way too much thought into this, but it surprises me that for someone who is supposed to be so careful not to leave traces of evidence, that he’d do things that seem so out of character.
I suppose a big part of Dexter’s luck is that he doesn’t have the usual connections to the people he kills. He’s killing strangers, not friends, lovers, family, co-workers. And since nobody finds the bodies, that’s even better. There’s not even a crime to investigate.
Pundit, I’m of two schools of thought on what you said 1)Dexter is starting to slip and/or the writers are setting him to get caught (imagine the montage of all the things you just said, think Usual Suspects) or 2)It’s TV, suspension of disbelief blah blah blah.
Also, while Dexter is the blood spatter specialist, it is not the only kind of examination he does. He also collects other types of evidence and does other kinds of lab work, so it wouldn’t be surprising that all the lab rat types have access to all the the various databases that any of them might have need of.
Also, something to keep in mind, all the reports they pull on their computer are recorded and audited from time to time. They touched on this once before and I know they do it in the real world as well.
This was largely explained in the show. It’s an abandoned tourist center. It was presumably built when that area was more tourist-y. After shutting it down, the city built a fence and put up a few bars on the windows, probably because
(1) It keeps less-motivated riff-raff out.
(2) It some moron hurts himself on the abandoned city property and tries to sue, they can show they at least made efforts to prevent morons from getting in. That is, it’s a liability issue.
(3) It’s cheaper than demolishing the building, which - who knows? - they may have some use for in the future. At the very least, it looks like they store some stuff there.
Not very unbelievable. He got lucky, sure, but not unbelievably so. The website likely lists email address for at least some of the employees. Once you have bjohnson@website.com, you (probably) have Bob Johnson’s username. Once you have that, you just guess that top X most common passwords. For example, “password”. Or, “123456”, or “qwerty”, or just the username. (Seriously, you’d be surprised at how many people have ridiculously retarded passwords in the real world. An analysis of 32 million breached passwords from earlier this year gives this chart of the most popular passwords: http://i.zdnet.com/blogs/imperva_passwords_popularity_rockyou_breach.jpg Note especially the top 3 most common.) A national company like U-Haul probably has a decent IT department that enforces good passwords; “Miami Move and Haul” probably does not.
I assume Dexter tries guessing passwords from time to time in order to get information on his targets. Most of the time it doesn’t pan out, so we don’t see those attempts on the show. This is one of the few times it worked, so we see it.
Oddly, nothing you mentioned strikes me as particularly troubling. What bothers me is when Dexter followed Roadkill Guy to his dump site. There’s no way RKG wouldn’t have seen him, even if he wasn’t looking over his shoulder. (Which he presumably was because, well, he was about to dump a body. I always watch for tails when I dump a body.)
Surely they ran the nanny through the criminal database, but I think there’s something there which is going to be major drama this season.
Please oh please oh please oh please let’s not have another “Dexter thinks he’s found somebody who he can kill with and be a better person with while Deb dates a guy who gets killed by someone connected to Dexter” season. How many times can they do that?
I doubt cops can steal cash from crime scenes either. And Quinn got suspended for contacting the boy in protective custody even though his superior told him not to do it.
Cops steal a LOT. Of my own personal knowledge, in 2 out of 2 cases when police entered the homes of relatives of mine who died in their homes. In one of those cases, it was several cops, at least, who stole.
I mean can’t as in literally can’t. I worked in IT for a PD and the computers are locked so admins are the only ones that can install programs.
What about those dongle-thingies that go in between the keyboard and the USB port that record keystrokes and passes them through to the computer? Usually hidden out of sight in back of the computer, and it’s all hardware. I expect that would work.
I’m still holding out for the beat cop who first approached Deb to be involved. She knew a lot of info about how the first person was killed, and we never saw her questioning the second victim, we just got her leading Deb back to the shop to discover the body.
No, they don’t finger print Minnesota state employees (at least not all of them).
Also if you get a chance, stop on the screen showing the Minnesota driver’s license. The “Great Seal of Minnesota” shows a gopher! (which isn’t the regular great seal). Someone was having fun in the production.