Imitating Television

I came across something recently that was very interesting to me recently. I'm not sure how many of you guys watch the show Dexter on Showtime, but I have just started watching the show on DVD. Dexter is a show about a serial killer, but his father raised him to only use his urges of killing for good, so he kills men and women who are killers themselves and rids the world of their evil crimes.


I found a story where 17 year old Andrew Conley from Ohio killed his ten year old brother because he "wanted to be like Dexter." This crime will have him either serve life without parole or a 65 year sentence, but also could have him out by the age of 40. Conley never denied killing his little brother. He was asked why he did it, and he stated, ""maybe I was thinking about going in there and just stabbing my Dad in the throat, but I didn't do it." He then went over to his Dad's house, and instead of stabbing his father, he strangled his 10 year old brother. After doing this he says he was being something he thought he was going to be all along...a monster.


After he committed his crime, he went over to his girlfriends house to watch a movie, and gave her a promise ring, saying they would be together forever. She said, "it was the happiest I've seen him in a long time." After his arrest, his girlfriend said that Andrew idolized Dexter. As I was looking at pictures of Conley, I saw he looked almost exactly like him, maybe trying to cut his hair and sideburns like him. He probably dressed like his as well. This isn't the first time someone has murdered idolizing Dexter and this post was just to show how television criminals (although Dexter is pictured as a good guy) can have a good impact on those watching.