SAN DIEGO » There weren’t any kills at the final panel for "Dexter" at Comic-Con, but there were some tears.

"Dexter" actresses Jennifer Carpenter and Lauren Velez held back the waterworks as they expressed their gratitude to fans gathered inside the San Diego Convention Center for the pop-culture convention.

"You’re the reason we show up every day," said Carpenter, who plays Deb, the conflicted sister of loveable serial killer Dexter Morgan. "We want to do right by you because your standards are high, and you deserve good work, so it can’t be a wrap until we’re all here together, especially for those who waited to be in this room."

Many of the "Dexter" devotees had camped out for a chance to see Michael C. Hall and the rest of the cast, who finished production on the eighth and final season of the Showtime drama last week.

"Just as you all waited in line and are here for us, we have been here for you, and we are here because of you," said Hall.

The panel served as a reunion for past "Dexter" actors whose characters have died on the show, including Velez, Erik King and Julie Benz.

"It’s ending on a high note, and that’s what you want to see in television, but it’s sad to see it go," said Benz, who played Dexter’s girlfriend, Rita Bennett, for four seasons.

The cast and crew were tightlipped on how the show will end later this year.

But the cast shared what they took from the set after production wrapped. Hall swiped Dexter’s watch and a 9-foot piece of the railing outside his apartment; Harrington pocketed Joseph Quinn’s gold chains; Yvonne Strahovski took Hannah McKay’s black orchid; David Zayas grabbed Bautista’s hat; and Carpenter fleeced several items, including blood splatter images from Dexter’s lab.

AP Entertainment Writer Derrik J. Lang is tweeting from Comic-Con. Follow him at http://www.twitter.com/derrikjlang.

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