Rita Bennett (
née Brandon; later
Morgan) 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. Portrayed by
Julie Benz, Rita was a series regular in the first four seasons. The character made her last television appearance in 2010; she was a special guest star in
Dexter season five opener entitled "
My Bad". The character has appeared in all of the
Dexter novels.