A bloody-minded expert

Mug shots: Since Dexter always has to look good on the job, he can't follow protocol exactly. "DNA is such a big thing in our field right now as far as evidence, and it's so sensitive," says Heale. "Sometimes, Dexter the character, he may be wearing what we call a particle mask or a death mask to eliminate the chance of cross contamination with his DNA over evidence. And if he has speaking lines, of course, he's not going to be able to wear that and actually say his lines. So there's some things where it's not quite as accurate."

Smooth criminal: According to Heale, one thing "Dexter" really gets right is that investigators have to think like criminals to catch criminals. "For the sheriff's department, you have to work in the jails for a period of time before you go out into patrol," she says. "And that's to actually have you have a better understanding of the way criminals and suspects think. A lot of times as an investigator, you have to step into the suspect's shoes to think, 'OK, what area did they touch? What did they do when they were at this scene?' It helps you better understand and also to look for the proper evidence at a crime scene."