Work With Us

This is not a comprehensive list.
Email us with your needs and we can get you in touch with the appropriate investigator.

  • INVESTIGATOR

    Will has been working as a licensed Spanish-speaking private investigator since 2003. He has extensive experience in state and federal criminal cases as well as various civil matters, including (among many others) worksite injury, auto accidents, dram shop investigations, and machinery malfunction. He has been fortunate to work with, and learn from, a great cast of attorneys over the years, giving him a wide perspective on the legal field in Oregon. He also considers himself lucky to be able to engage with the Spanish-speaking community on an almost daily basis.

    Guye Investigations LLC
    willdart@comcast.net
    503-830-4730

  • MITIGATION SPECIALIST

    In addition to my PI credentials, I’ve been an active Bar member for 45 years. I practiced as a trial lawyer in both private practice and as a public defender for about 20 years. My mitigation practice has been primarily capital cases — both trial level and PCR — and juvenile waiver, mainly homicides.

    aliceellisgaut@outlook.com

  • INVESTIGATOR

    James has worked in the judicial system since 1996. He was one of the first Spanish Interpreters to be certified in Idaho where he worked in state and federal courts; later working as a Master Level Certified Interpreter in every judicial district in the state of Oregon. With many years of experience working on a broad spectrum of cases of all types, James brings to the table an unparalleled familiarity with Oregon Courts and the judicial process.

    Se habla español

    james@insightli.com
    insightli.com

  • MITIGATION SPECIALIST &
    DEFENSE VICTIM OUTREACH PRACTITIONER

    lrittal@protonmail.com
    (503) 473-2954

  • INVESTIGATOR

    Maggie is an investigator working primarily in Clackamas and Yamhill counties.  She has a professional background in education and publishing, and has a good head on her shoulders. Her work focuses on adult criminal cases, specializing in research and mitigation. She is something of a clerical nerd, and has a knack for keeping things organized in this frequently disorganized field.

    kestrel.investigations@gmail.com
    (971) 337-0462

  • INVESTIGATOR &
    MITIGATION SPECIALIST

    Bernard A. Brown Investigations in Albany, Or.

  • INVESTIGATOR &
    MITIGATION SPECIALIST

    Juliet has 18 years of experience as a fact investigator and mitigation specialist in capital and felony murder cases, including trial level, post-conviction, and juvenile waivers. Juliet is especially skilled and experienced in client and witness relationship development, interviews, and follow-up; discovery summary and analysis; information management via witness lists, timelines, and physical evidence logs, etc.; witness searches and interviews; and well-written, accurate documentation.

    JulietCardinal@gmail.com

  • INVESTIGATOR

    Erin has a BS in Criminology and Criminal Justice from PSU. She started out working for Multnomah County Department of Community Justice and then the Metropolitan Public Defenders office before branching out on her own in 2008. Most of Erin’s focus is on criminal defense, State, Federal and private work and also civil investigation.

    erinhowellpi@gmail.com
    (503) 730-1671
    howellpi.com

  • INVESTIGATOR

  • INVESTIGATOR &
    MITIGATION SPECIALIST

    Emma specializes in open source intelligence, fact investigation, and complex cases such as homicide and juvenile waivers. She has lived in the US, Ireland, Spain, and the UK and enjoys the cross-cultural aspect of her work.

    Emma began working as a PI after a decade in journalism and documentary film. She has a B.A. in Journalism from the University of Oregon Clark Honors College and an M.A. in Conflict Transformation from Queen's University Belfast; her 2023 dissertation focused on conducting investigations in post-conflict countries.

    Emma is on the board of the Defense Investigators of Oregon and is a volunteer investigator for Bellingcat's Global Authentication Project.

    emma@fintanfirm.com
    fintanfirm.com

  • LEGAL ASSISTANT

    Tiara works for the law firm Levi Merrithew Horst. While in undergrad she participated in her school’s Model UN team and took a variety of courses in the Pre-Law track. Inspired by many school visits to Washington D.C., Tiara spent a summer there teaching Law and CSI to high schooler’s through Envision’s NYLF summer programs. Tiara has worked in and around the Oregon Justice system her whole life and is passionate about helping people in whichever way she can.

    tiara@lmhlegal.com
    lmhlegal.com

  • INVESTIGATOR

    Steve Wilson, owner and lead investigator at Portland Investigators, has been a licensed PI since 2003. Steve began his career working on juvenile delinquency and dependency cases before transitioning to adult criminal defense and civil litigation. Steve has worked for the defense in some of the highest profile cases in Oregon, including multiple state and federal death penalty cases. Steve is a member of the Oregon Criminal Defense Lawyer's Association, the Multnomah Bar Association, and is the co-chair of the OCDLA Investigator's Committee. Prior to his career in investigation, Steve taught college writing and was a freelance journalist. He is the author of the book, The Boys From Little Mexico, published by Beacon Press.

    swilsn@gmail.com
    503-481-0671
    portlandinvestigators.com

  • INVESTIGATOR

    Nina is an investigator with the law firm Levi Merrithew Horst. Nina interned at the Federal Public Defender before joining the Metropolitan Public Defender’s Capital Team as a fact investigator, where she defended clients accused of the most serious cases. She has worked in the criminal justice and legal field since college as a teaching assistant for classes held inside prisons, paralegal, and criminal defense and civil rights investigator in the state and federal court systems.

    University of Oregon Clark Honors College
    B.A. Psychology & History

    nina@lmhlegal.com
    lmhlegal.com

  • INVESTIGATOR

    Tiffany has worked as an investigator in Oregon since 2014, concentrating on adult and juvenile defense cases. More recently, she specializes in the criminal defense of adults accused of major felonies, including murder, Jessica’s Law, and Measure 11 charges. Tiffany also has extensive experience working juvenile cases and helping defendants resolve misdemeanor charges through a process known as civil compromise. Tiffany brings more than a decade of experience as a social worker to her work as an investigator. Early in her career, Tiffany worked with at-risk children and families in the Portland metropolitan area. Tiffany is based in Salem but has worked across the state.

    A native Oregonian, Tiffany studied sociology, social work, and criminology at the University of Oregon and Portland State University. She is a member of the Oregon Criminal Defense Lawyers Association.

    TAJ Investigative, LLC
    503-583-7343
    tajinvestigativeservices@gmail.com

  • INVESTIGATOR

    AL became an Oregon-licensed private investigator in 2019. He is skilled in paying attention to details, leadership, report writing, and communication. 

    AL served two terms as a Private Security/Investigator Policy Committee member with the Oregon Department of Public Safety Standards and Training (DPSST), as the Retail Representative.

    AL was born in Riverside, California and raised in Compton and Long Beach. He began his career in 1986 when he earned his diploma in Law Enforcement and Security from the Metropolitan Technical Institute. He has since earned an Associates of Applied Science Degree in Criminal Justice, where he received the Certificate of Highest Honor during his studies.

    He began working in the Los Angeles area in the private sector, where he conducted a full range of investigative and protective services ranging from Loss Prevention, Plain Clothes Operations, Personal Protection, Insurance Fraud, and Corporate Investigations. In 1991, Al moved to Oregon, where he continued his career in the private sector.

    AL Currently serves as the Squadron Soldier and Family Readiness Group Advisor/Coordinator for the Washington National Guard 1-303rd Cavalry Regiment. 

    AL enjoys spending time with his family, cooking, hunting, and fishing, when he is not working.

    (971) 448-8383
    al@thekenziegroup.com
    thekenziegroup.com

  • INVESTIGATOR

    Sean Coyne is a seasoned criminal defense investigator with over six years of experience serving the Portland, Oregon area. Sean has handled a diverse range of state and federal cases, including assault, sex crimes, murder, and RICO cases. Known for his strong investigative skills and excellent soft skills, Sean works closely with attorneys to uncover the truth and support the defense’s case.

    Sean Coyne’s mission is to provide thorough, compassionate, and professional investigative services, ensuring that every client receives the dedicated support they deserve.

    Crux Private Eye LLC
    sean@cruxprivateeye.com

  • INVESTIGATOR &
    MITIGATION SPECIALIST

    Haydn Dolata has a BA from Lewis and Clark College in International Affairs. After 12 years working in the business world, Haydn pivoted to become a private investigator. Haydn works primarily doing mitigation on federal criminal cases and she also is an investigator on a wide range of state Measure 11 criminal cases for the last 8 years. For 3 years she's simultaneously done case management work for the  Parent Child Representation Program in Washington county. Haydn will graduate with a Masters in Social Work degree from Portland State University in June 2026.

    hgrahaminvestigations@gmail.com
    (503) 580-1844

  • INVESTIGATOR

    Signpost Investigations LLC
    Bend, OR

    km@signpostpi.com
    (541) 240-7654

  • INVESTIGATOR

    s.swift@swiftinvestigation.com

  • INVESTIGATOR

    Wes is an investigator based out of Eugene. He primarily works on post-conviction cases, but also specializes in reviewing and cataloging large volumes of video or audio files. Additionally, he is mentoring under Laura Rittal as a mitigator. He has a professional background in healthcare and human services.

    wes@woodsinvestigation.com
    (541) 844-9298