This year’s best-of list, chosen by our editors, includes op-eds, essays, excerpts, and explainers spanning topics from criminal defense to asbestos investigations.
Powerful Personal Essays & Excerpts
The Witness Who Came In from the Cold —Colleen Collins
The potential witnesses, afraid of gang retaliation, kept their silence—until one brave soul emerged from the darkness to speak for our client.
Excerpt: “Two Truths and a Lie” —Ellen McGarrahan
In Two Truths and a Lie, reporter-turned-PI Ellen McGarrahan recounts her quest for the truth about a decades-old murder and offers profound insights on grief and justice.
The Gladiator —Steve Morrow
A criminal defense investigator faces better-armed opponents and long odds. But in time, he learns to wield new weapons on behalf of his clients.
My Biggest Struggles with Running a PI Business—and How I Overcame Them —Brian Willingham
Cash flow, economic downturns, marketing to new clients—these are hurdles every PI-entrepreneur faces. But over the long haul, there are even thornier issues.
A Walk in the Park: Investigations in the Magic Kingdom —Ramesh Nyberg
When a Miami private investigator surveils a subject at Disney World, will magic prevail?
GOYAKOD: Get Off Your @$$ and Knock on Doors…Maybe —Steve Koenig
I’ve always thought being there in person was the ONLY effective way to handle witness interviews. And then came COVID.
Outstanding Op-Eds
Lose the Resource Link Lists Already! —Robert Gardner
What’s the value of huge, undifferentiated lists of OSINT resources if people don’t know how to use the tools?
Op-Ed: What if We All Had the Courage of Whistleblowers and Witnesses? —Natasha Senjanovic
Journalists rely on the public to help them expose injustices large and small. But blowing the whistle takes more courage than most of us like to admit we have.
Op-Ed: Has Video Killed the Process Serving Star? —Jacob Osojnak
A fellow process server’s TikTok profile raises questions about what kind of self-promotion is ethical.
4 Great Listicles
Rural Surveillance, Planning, Implementation, and Risk Management —Rod Thompson
3 Key Factors to Consider When Undertaking Rural Surveillance
The Most Epic Frauds of 2020 —David P. Weber
2020 was a crazy year, with no shortage of fraud, from brazen occupational crime to selective blindness by government regulators.
10 Qualities of Effective Leadership —Clay Kahler
True leadership is about trust and integrity, holding yourself accountable, and inspiring your team to be their best professional selves.
6 Simple Tips to Protect Your Privacy Online —Talia Cohen
Who’s looking over your shoulder? Protecting personal data requires some vigilance and basic tech savvy.
14 Client Types Private Investigators Encounter — and How to Handle Them —Edward Panico
This excerpt is a spot-on, often very funny overview of the many types of characters P.I. entrepreneurs deal with, for good or ill.
Epic Explainers and How-Tos
Aspiring Criminal Defense Investigators: Prepare for the Storm —Mike Spencer
Ex-crime beat reporter and veteran defense investigator Mike Spencer gives hopefuls a heads up about what the job truly entails.
Investigating Pink-Collar Crimes: Vigilance Is Everything —Kelly Paxton
Too often, victims of pink-collar crime never see justice done. But vigilance can decrease your chances of falling prey.
Deed Fraud: Preying on the Most Vulnerable —Philip Segal
Deed fraud is a form of identity theft that allows crooks to steal your home. And it usually targets the most vulnerable.
Before You Start a P.I. YouTube Channel, Read This. —Adam Visnic
During lockdown, Adam Visnic of Gravitas Investigations dove deep into video, producing two popular YouTube series for PIs: “The Reason You Got Burned” and “The P.I. Hero.”
A Primer on Interpleader Insurance Investigations —Dean & Karen Beers
A simple explainer on investigating denied insurance benefits for death or catastrophic injury on behalf of claimants.
Asbestos Defense Investigations: A Primer —Jed Mahoney
Investigating asbestos exposure claims for the defense means traveling decades back in time to research the details of a plaintiff’s life and work.