Trinity Killer
Encyclopedia
Arthur Mitchell, often referred to as the "Trinity Killer", is a fictional character in the Showtime TV Series Dexter
. The character is portrayed by John Lithgow
, who won a Golden Globe and an Emmy for his performance. He is the main antagonist
in season four.
. Frank Lundy dubs him the "Trinity Killer" because of a recurring pattern of three killings. First, Mitchell would kill a young woman in a bathtub by slicing her femoral artery
with a straight razor
while putting her in a choke hold, and holding up a small mirror so that he can see her face as she dies. His second victim is a married mother of two, whom he kidnaps and forces to jump to her death from an abandoned building. His third victim is a father of two, whom he bludgeon
s to death with a hammer. At each site he places a small sample of his sister's ashes, and arranges the victim's arm to point at the ash. He has repeated this cycle in different cities all over the United States
.
At first, Dexter Morgan
is fascinated by Mitchell's efficient killing methods and apparent ability to balance his familial responsibilities with his secret life as a serial killer.
to protect her father from the police. In the episode "Hello, Dexter Morgan
", Mitchell renounces all ties to her, angrily telling her he wishes she had never been born; she commits suicide
shortly afterward.
In "Road Kill", it is revealed that members of his family died in the same way as his victims: his sister died in a bathtub in 1959, his mother jumped to her death in 1961, and his father was bludgeoned to death in 1962 (presumably by him). In the episode "Lost Boys", it is revealed that he does not kill three victims but four: The first victim of his cycle is a young boy whom Mitchell kidnaps, drugs, and then buries alive in concrete. As the bodies of these children were never found, they were considered to be cases of kidnapping rather than murder, so Lundy never made the connection. With this new information, Dexter concludes that each of Mitchell's victims represents one of his family members, with the boy representing Mitchell himself.
sites. After killing the woman in the bathtub, Mitchell takes a shower in scalding hot water and, after forcing a mother to fall to her death, he provokes a drunken man into beating him up ("Living the Dream").
homebuilding organization. He uses this organization to travel around the country to cover for his murder spree, and as a dump site for the first victim in his cycle.
, and is appalled at the idea of putting it out of its misery ("Slack Tide").
to build a house, Dexter concocts a plan to go to a meteorological
convention to establish an alibi so he has a reason to be in Tampa as well ("Road Kill"). Mitchell reluctantly allows Dexter to tag along when Dexter claims he's done something terrible that only Mitchell can help him recover from. Dexter, hoping to redeem his murder of the innocent man, plans to murder the decidedly guilty Mitchell along the way. During their road trip, however, Mitchell pushes Dexter to admit his terrible deed, and Dexter claims to have killed someone in a hunting accident. This admission greatly affects Mitchell, who sees it as a sign of kinship. He takes Dexter to his old home and tells him that when he was 10, he startled his sister while spying on her in the shower; she fell and broke the glass door, slicing her femoral artery and bleeding to death. His mother later committed suicide
by leaping off a building, leaving him in the care of his abusive
father; Dexter theorizes that Mitchell bludgeoned his father to death, accounting for the third victim.
For the remainder of the trip Mitchell exhibits sudden mood swings and irrational behavior; he keeps telling random people about his family members' deaths and stresses the need for confession, to the point that Dexter is actually worried about maintaining Mitchell telling people about Dexter's previously mentioned murder. One morning, Dexter sneaks into Mitchell's room, intent on killing him, only to find Mitchell gone. Dexter tracks him to a construction site where Mitchell attempts to commit suicide
. Dexter reluctantly stops him, wanting to kill Mitchell himself. Dexter contemplates letting Mitchell fall to his death, but as he's about to let go, workers at the site come to help Dexter save him. Mitchell has a newfound zest for life, believing God sent Dexter to save him.
, Mitchell's son, Jonah, lashes out at his father, destroying his homebuilder's plaques and smashing his sister's urn. In a fit of rage, Mitchell almost strangles Jonah, but Dexter interferes, dragging him into the kitchen. Just as Dexter has Mitchell at his mercy, however, Mitchell's wife and daughter rush in to stop him ("Hungry Man").
").
, in the bathtub of Dexter's house, and that he left Dexter's son Harrison in her blood, mirroring the childhood trauma
that put Dexter on the path to becoming a serial killer.
Dexter (TV series)
Dexter is an American television drama series, which debuted on Showtime on October 1, 2006. The sixth season premiered on October 2, 2011. The series centers on Dexter Morgan , a bloodstain pattern analyst for the Miami Metro Police Department who moonlights as a serial killer...
. The character is portrayed by John Lithgow
John Lithgow
John Arthur Lithgow is an American actor, musician, and author. Presently, he is involved with a wide range of media projects, including stage, television, film, and radio...
, who won a Golden Globe and an Emmy for his performance. He is the main antagonist
Antagonist
An antagonist is a character, group of characters, or institution, that represents the opposition against which the protagonist must contend...
in season four.
Character overview
Arthur Mitchell is an unassuming suburbanite and family man — who for 30 years has been living a double life as a serial killerSerial killer
A serial killer, as typically defined, is an individual who has murdered three or more people over a period of more than a month, with down time between the murders, and whose motivation for killing is usually based on psychological gratification...
. Frank Lundy dubs him the "Trinity Killer" because of a recurring pattern of three killings. First, Mitchell would kill a young woman in a bathtub by slicing her femoral artery
Femoral artery
The femoral artery is a general term comprising a few large arteries in the thigh. They begin at the inguinal ligament and end just above the knee at adductor canal or Hunter's canal traversing the extent of the femur bone....
with a straight razor
Straight razor
A straight razor is a razor with a blade that can fold into its handle. They are also called open razors and cut-throat razors.Although straight razors were once the principal method of manual shaving, they have been largely overshadowed by the safety razor, incorporating a disposable blade...
while putting her in a choke hold, and holding up a small mirror so that he can see her face as she dies. His second victim is a married mother of two, whom he kidnaps and forces to jump to her death from an abandoned building. His third victim is a father of two, whom he bludgeon
Bludgeon
Bludgeon may refer to:* Bludgeon , a fictional character* Bludgeon , a club-like weapon* Crabtree's Bludgeon, a foil to Occam's Razor...
s to death with a hammer. At each site he places a small sample of his sister's ashes, and arranges the victim's arm to point at the ash. He has repeated this cycle in different cities all over the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
.
At first, Dexter Morgan
Dexter Morgan
Dexter Morgan is a fictional character in a series of novels by Jeff Lindsay, including Darkly Dreaming Dexter , Dearly Devoted Dexter , Dexter in the Dark , Dexter by Design , Dexter is Delicious and Double Dexter...
is fascinated by Mitchell's efficient killing methods and apparent ability to balance his familial responsibilities with his secret life as a serial killer.
Family
Mitchell is married and has a son and daughter by his wife. He has another, older daughter by a previous relationship, who witnessed one of his murders as a child. He treats her like a shameful secret, forbidding her from contacting him and keeping her existence hidden from his other family. She tries unsuccessfully to win his love, going so far as to commit murder for him; in "Dex Takes a Holiday", she kills Lundy and wounds Dexter's foster sister DebraDebra Morgan
Debra Morgan is a fictional character created by Jeff Lindsay for his Dexter book series. She also appears in the television series, based on Lindsay's books, portrayed by Jennifer Carpenter. In Lindsay's novels, she first appeared in Darkly Dreaming Dexter, and has featured in every novel...
to protect her father from the police. In the episode "Hello, Dexter Morgan
Hello, Dexter Morgan
"Hello, Dexter Morgan" is the 11th and penultimate episode of the fourth season of Showtime TV series, Dexter, which aired on December 6, 2009. The police team attempt to get Christine Hill to talk while Dexter frames another man in order to get Arthur Mitchell, the Trinity Killer, all to...
", Mitchell renounces all ties to her, angrily telling her he wishes she had never been born; she commits suicide
Suicide
Suicide is the act of intentionally causing one's own death. Suicide is often committed out of despair or attributed to some underlying mental disorder, such as depression, bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, alcoholism, or drug abuse...
shortly afterward.
In "Road Kill", it is revealed that members of his family died in the same way as his victims: his sister died in a bathtub in 1959, his mother jumped to her death in 1961, and his father was bludgeoned to death in 1962 (presumably by him). In the episode "Lost Boys", it is revealed that he does not kill three victims but four: The first victim of his cycle is a young boy whom Mitchell kidnaps, drugs, and then buries alive in concrete. As the bodies of these children were never found, they were considered to be cases of kidnapping rather than murder, so Lundy never made the connection. With this new information, Dexter concludes that each of Mitchell's victims represents one of his family members, with the boy representing Mitchell himself.
Episode 37
In season four, Mitchell begins the cycle again, killing his victims at the original murderMurder
Murder is the unlawful killing, with malice aforethought, of another human being, and generally this state of mind distinguishes murder from other forms of unlawful homicide...
sites. After killing the woman in the bathtub, Mitchell takes a shower in scalding hot water and, after forcing a mother to fall to her death, he provokes a drunken man into beating him up ("Living the Dream").
Episode 40
FBI agent Frank Lundy comes out of retirement to hunt Trinity down, but is shot and killed just as he begins to close in on him ("Dex Takes a Holiday"). Lundy had theorized that Trinity was a loner who had no life outside killing. When Dexter goes to kill Trinity, he discovers that Trinity is a husband and father, as well as a prominent figure in a charitable ChristianChristianity
Christianity is a monotheistic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus as presented in canonical gospels and other New Testament writings...
homebuilding organization. He uses this organization to travel around the country to cover for his murder spree, and as a dump site for the first victim in his cycle.
Episode 43
Dexter is conflicted over whether to kill Mitchell or learn how he made his family life work. Dexter, under the alias of Kyle Butler, befriends Mitchell and soon learns that, unlike Dexter, Mitchell has no problem being himself with his family or expressing affection. He also witnesses Mitchell's strange, unpredictable personality; the same man who murders people with uncommon brutality is distraught to the point of tears when he and Dexter hit a deerDeer
Deer are the ruminant mammals forming the family Cervidae. Species in the Cervidae family include white-tailed deer, elk, moose, red deer, reindeer, fallow deer, roe deer and chital. Male deer of all species and female reindeer grow and shed new antlers each year...
, and is appalled at the idea of putting it out of its misery ("Slack Tide").
Episode 44
As Mitchell plans a trip to TampaTâmpa
Tâmpa may refer to several villages in Romania:* Tâmpa, a village in Băcia Commune, Hunedoara County* Tâmpa, a village in Miercurea Nirajului, Mureş County* Tâmpa, a mountain in Braşov city...
to build a house, Dexter concocts a plan to go to a meteorological
Meteorology
Meteorology is the interdisciplinary scientific study of the atmosphere. Studies in the field stretch back millennia, though significant progress in meteorology did not occur until the 18th century. The 19th century saw breakthroughs occur after observing networks developed across several countries...
convention to establish an alibi so he has a reason to be in Tampa as well ("Road Kill"). Mitchell reluctantly allows Dexter to tag along when Dexter claims he's done something terrible that only Mitchell can help him recover from. Dexter, hoping to redeem his murder of the innocent man, plans to murder the decidedly guilty Mitchell along the way. During their road trip, however, Mitchell pushes Dexter to admit his terrible deed, and Dexter claims to have killed someone in a hunting accident. This admission greatly affects Mitchell, who sees it as a sign of kinship. He takes Dexter to his old home and tells him that when he was 10, he startled his sister while spying on her in the shower; she fell and broke the glass door, slicing her femoral artery and bleeding to death. His mother later committed suicide
Suicide
Suicide is the act of intentionally causing one's own death. Suicide is often committed out of despair or attributed to some underlying mental disorder, such as depression, bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, alcoholism, or drug abuse...
by leaping off a building, leaving him in the care of his abusive
Child abuse
Child abuse is the physical, sexual, emotional mistreatment, or neglect of a child. In the United States, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the Department of Children And Families define child maltreatment as any act or series of acts of commission or omission by a parent or...
father; Dexter theorizes that Mitchell bludgeoned his father to death, accounting for the third victim.
For the remainder of the trip Mitchell exhibits sudden mood swings and irrational behavior; he keeps telling random people about his family members' deaths and stresses the need for confession, to the point that Dexter is actually worried about maintaining Mitchell telling people about Dexter's previously mentioned murder. One morning, Dexter sneaks into Mitchell's room, intent on killing him, only to find Mitchell gone. Dexter tracks him to a construction site where Mitchell attempts to commit suicide
Suicide
Suicide is the act of intentionally causing one's own death. Suicide is often committed out of despair or attributed to some underlying mental disorder, such as depression, bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, alcoholism, or drug abuse...
. Dexter reluctantly stops him, wanting to kill Mitchell himself. Dexter contemplates letting Mitchell fall to his death, but as he's about to let go, workers at the site come to help Dexter save him. Mitchell has a newfound zest for life, believing God sent Dexter to save him.
Episode 45
As Dexter gets to know Mitchell, he learns that he is not the loving family man he appears to be; he is in fact an abusive tyrant, dominating his wife, beating his son and keeping his daughter virtually imprisoned in her room. During ThanksgivingThanksgiving
Thanksgiving Day is a holiday celebrated primarily in the United States and Canada. Thanksgiving is celebrated each year on the second Monday of October in Canada and on the fourth Thursday of November in the United States. In Canada, Thanksgiving falls on the same day as Columbus Day in the...
, Mitchell's son, Jonah, lashes out at his father, destroying his homebuilder's plaques and smashing his sister's urn. In a fit of rage, Mitchell almost strangles Jonah, but Dexter interferes, dragging him into the kitchen. Just as Dexter has Mitchell at his mercy, however, Mitchell's wife and daughter rush in to stop him ("Hungry Man").
Episodes 46 & 47
In "Lost Boys", Dexter witnesses Mitchell kidnap a child, but is unable to stop him. Eventually Dexter tracks him down as he's about to bury the boy alive in drying concrete. Dexter saves the boy, but Mitchell escapes. After Mitchell learns from a news report that the boy is alive, and that Dexter didn't turn Mitchell in, he begins to become suspicious of Dexter. As he tries to find Dexter he kills a man named Kyle Butler, and ultimately follows Dexter to the police station he works for and discovers Dexter's real name ("Hello, Dexter MorganHello, Dexter Morgan
"Hello, Dexter Morgan" is the 11th and penultimate episode of the fourth season of Showtime TV series, Dexter, which aired on December 6, 2009. The police team attempt to get Christine Hill to talk while Dexter frames another man in order to get Arthur Mitchell, the Trinity Killer, all to...
").
Episode 48
In the last episode of the season, "The Getaway", Dexter kills Mitchell in the room where he had held the kidnapped child. Mitchell believes Dexter was sent by God to kill him, and claims that he had tried and failed several times to stop killing, before finally realizing that he could not control his violent urges; he then predicts a similar fate for Dexter. It is revealed in the final scene of the episode that Mitchell killed Dexter's wife, RitaRita Bennett
Rita Bennett is a fictional character created by Jeff Lindsay for his book series about a vigilante serial killer named Dexter Morgan. She also appeared in the television series Dexter, based on Lindsay's books. She was the girlfriend and later, wife of Dexter in both media...
, in the bathtub of Dexter's house, and that he left Dexter's son Harrison in her blood, mirroring the childhood trauma
Psychological trauma
Psychological trauma is a type of damage to the psyche that occurs as a result of a traumatic event...
that put Dexter on the path to becoming a serial killer.