A Sterling Heights police detective’s chilling testimony brought a dark undercurrent into a Macomb County trial.

Detective Paul Reno noted that a man convicted of assaulting and exposing himself to multiple women didn’t flinch when a detective seemed to suggest he possessed a “dark passenger,” a person’s alter ego which cannot be controlled.

When Reno interviewed then-suspect Christian Margosian, he and another detective talked about the dark passenger part of the personality of “Dexter Morgan,” the lead character in the Showtime TV show, “Dexter,” starring Michael C. Hall, and in several novels that inspired the show, and of “Earl Brooks,” in the 2007 movie, “Mr. Brooks.” Dexter’s alter ego is called the dark passenger while in the case of Brooks, played by Kevin Costner, the imaginary friend is “Marshall,” played by William Hurt.

During the interview with Margosian, the detectives also referred to fetishes and “the desire for the obscure,” as recounted in the circuit courtroom by assistant Macomb prosecutor Steven Fox.

“He didn’t seem to react to it,” Reno said.

“Did he seem appalled or back away from it?” Fox said.

“No,” Reno replied.

Reno compared Margosian – who continued trying to attack women despite being stopped by police at least once – to a “psychopath.”

Margosian was found guilty of five charges related to three incidents, and was accused of two other incidents that are uncharged.

It is unknown to The Insider whether a passenger has joined Margosian at the county jail.