Grandmother Sets up Investigation Firm

LAKE CITY, TN - Terri Russell, owner of Russell Investigations, used to be a restaurant owner. Now, the grandmother of six is an armed private investigator, who hired a few other women in her rural office. Russell Investigations has two investigators besides Russell. Russell switched to a PI career when working on her feet all day in the restaurant business became too much.

PIs Stakeout Captures Harkless

MEXICO - Richard M. Harkless, ex-president of MX Factors, was a fugitive for three years, until this past week. That’s when a long stakeout by PIs in Mexico led to the arrest of the man accused of a $58 million investment scam. Four PIs had to keep tabs on Harkless for nine months in the Ensenada condominium where he lived. The stakeout was hampered by the slow bureaucratic response of Mexican authorities and by the fact that American authorities cannot take enforcement action in Mexico.

Undercover Moms Expand Business

TWIN FALLS, ID - Val Agosta and Mollie Carman are two private investigators who combine motherhood and crime-fighting. The duo are taking so many cheating spouse cases and child custody cases in Twin Falls that they are actively seeking office space there. While their job may be dangerous at times, both Agosta and Carman love what they do and relish the interesting cases they are able to take.

Portuguese PI Laws Can Hurt the McCann’s

PORTUGAL – Kate and Gerry McCann, accused of having something to do with their daughter’s disappearance, may have little recourse of action because of strict Portuguese laws. Trace amounts of their daughter Madeleine’s blood was detected in the car they rented 25 days after the little girl disappeared. Although they allegedly are worried that evidence may have been planted, they cannot, by Portuguese law, hire a PI. In Portugal only the police or court-approved experts can investigate a crime when the investigation is still active.

PIs in Singapore May Sift Through Garbage

SINGAPORE - A landmark case about ownership of garbage has been resolved. The case stems from a six month investigation by PIs hired by various American investment funds. The PIs sifted through garbage to prove that Vestwin Trading and Hilltree Enterprise were linked to PT Indah Kiat. In court, however, the evidence from the garbage bins did not stand up when the judge ruled that the creditors went too far by sifting through garbage. In an appeal this past week, that judgment was reversed.