Meet Rachele’ Davis: a longtime colleague and friend, occasional contributor to Pursuit Magazine, and now, the author of a course for PI Education. called "Finding Birth Parents for Adoptees, Donor-Conceived, and NPEs."

Rachele’ has a really interesting niche: She helps reunite birth families. Her clients are adoptees looking for biological parents or siblings, and sometimes, parents looking for the children they gave up for adoption. That process can be an emotional roller coaster for everybody involved. It requires diplomacy, ethics, and compassion to handle all that as an investigator.

In this episode, Rachele’ and one of her former clients talk about what it’s like to find out where you came from after wondering for your whole life, and what it’s like to escort a person through that process.

Get the course: Finding Birth Parents for Adoptees, Donor-Conceived, and NPEs


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Pursuit Magazine and PI Education are part of StoryboardEMP, a media and education company in Nashville, TN. Pursuit, a free online magazine for private investigators, explores all things investigative, from gumshoe techniques and surveillance tech to industry news and crime in media. PI Education, its sister brand, provides high-quality online continuing education for licensed PIs. Pursuit and PIed are owned and edited by husband-wife team Hal Humphreys, a PI, and Kim Green, a writer and radio producer.

At this channel, you'll find an archive of briefings and webinars that dive deep into the work and the business of private investigations. Every month, we make more free stuff for you at this channel and PursuitMag, thanks to our generous expert-colleagues who contribute their expertise. And at PI Education, you can dive even deeper into the knowledge pool of this fascinating profession, with quality multimedia courses on dozens of topics. Subscribe to stay up to date!

"People don't understand what a bad day at the office means for people like us." That's a quote by Ben Lopez, a Chicago private investigator and the author of a moving personal essay in Pursuit about a case that came to a tragic conclusion — and the emotional toll it took on Ben.

Join host Hal Humphreys and Ben as they talk about Ben's essay, the cases that haunt all of us, and how we take care of ourselves in the face of trauma and tragedy.

Read Ben's story in PursuitMag.

And if you ever find yourself ruminating over a particularly troubling case, please talk to someone right away. You'll find Ben's number at the end of the article, and Hal shares his number at the end of the episode.

**CONTENT WARNING** - This episode includes a story about suicide.


🔔 SUBSCRIBE to our YouTube channel to watch these episodes: /pieducation

✅ NEED INVESTIGATOR CE? We've got you covered: pieducation.com

🔥 STAY INFORMED with articles by and for investigators: pursuitmag.com


Pursuit Magazine and PI Education are part of StoryboardEMP, a media and education company in Nashville, TN. Pursuit, a free online magazine for private investigators, explores all things investigative, from gumshoe techniques and surveillance tech to industry news and crime in media. PI Education, its sister brand, provides high-quality online continuing education for licensed PIs. Pursuit and PIed are owned and edited by husband-wife team Hal Humphreys, a PI, and Kim Green, a writer and radio producer.

At this channel, you'll find an archive of briefings and webinars that dive deep into the work and the business of private investigations. Every month, we make more free stuff for you at this channel and PursuitMag, thanks to our generous expert-colleagues who contribute their expertise. And at PI Education, you can dive even deeper into the knowledge pool of this fascinating profession, with quality multimedia courses on dozens of topics. Subscribe to stay up to date!

What IS due diligence, and what ISN'T it?

To answer this, Hal turns to our longtime colleague and friend Marcy Phelps, a professional researcher, licensed private investigator, and Certified Fraud Examiner. She's the author of Research on Main Street, owner of Marcy Phelps & Associates, and an instructor at PI Education. In the episode, Hal and Marcy talk about the why and how of due diligence investigations and give us a sneak peek at her brand-new due diligence course. Keep an eye out for that — it'll be approved soon!

While you wait, check out Marcy's other fabulous courses at PI Ed:
Research Secrets for Private Investigators
Searching Online Public Records Like a Pro
Mastering Online Public Records: Business Registrations
Mastering Online Public Records: Recorded Documents


🔔 SUBSCRIBE to our YouTube channel to watch these episodes: /pieducation

✅ NEED INVESTIGATOR CE? We've got you covered: pieducation.com

🔥 STAY INFORMED with articles by and for investigators: pursuitmag.com


Pursuit Magazine and PI Education are part of StoryboardEMP, a media and education company in Nashville, TN. Pursuit, a free online magazine for private investigators, explores all things investigative, from gumshoe techniques and surveillance tech to industry news and crime in media. PI Education, its sister brand, provides high-quality online continuing education for licensed PIs. Pursuit and PIed are owned and edited by husband-wife team Hal Humphreys, a PI, and Kim Green, a writer and radio producer.

At this channel, you'll find an archive of briefings and webinars that dive deep into the work and the business of private investigations. Every month, we make more free stuff for you at this channel and PursuitMag, thanks to our generous expert-colleagues who contribute their expertise. And at PI Education, you can dive even deeper into the knowledge pool of this fascinating profession, with quality multimedia courses on dozens of topics. Subscribe to stay up to date!

1986, Northern Ireland. A British spy is found dead by a desolate country lane — murdered by the IRA. Decades later, his killing set in motion the largest murder investigation ever in Britain and provoked painful national soul-searching about what spies should be allowed to to while serving their countries.

Join Hal and his guest, author and journalist Henry Hemming, to talk about Hemming's gripping new nonfiction spy thriller, FOUR SHOTS IN THE NIGHT: A True Story of Spies, Murder, and Justice in Northern Ireland. Find it anywhere you buy books.


🔔 SUBSCRIBE to our YouTube channel to watch these episodes: /pieducation

✅ NEED INVESTIGATOR CE? We've got you covered: pieducation.com

🔥 STAY INFORMED with articles by and for investigators: pursuitmag.com


Pursuit Magazine and PI Education are part of StoryboardEMP, a media and education company in Nashville, TN. Pursuit, a free online magazine for private investigators, explores all things investigative, from gumshoe techniques and surveillance tech to industry news and crime in media. PI Education, its sister brand, provides high-quality online continuing education for licensed PIs. Pursuit and PIed are owned and edited by husband-wife team Hal Humphreys, a PI, and Kim Green, a writer and radio producer.

At this channel, you'll find an archive of briefings and webinars that dive deep into the work and the business of private investigations. Every month, we make more free stuff for you at this channel and PursuitMag, thanks to our generous expert-colleagues who contribute their expertise. And at PI Education, you can dive even deeper into the knowledge pool of this fascinating profession, with quality multimedia courses on dozens of topics. Subscribe to stay up to date!

Join host Hal Humphreys and his guest, Ramesh Nyberg, as they talk about Nyberg's experiences in Florida law enforcement, including 22 years as a Miami homicide detective. In his new book, Badge Tie, and Gun: Life and Death Journeys of a Miami Detective, Nyberg shares what he's learned from nearly three decades on the force.
It's full of great stories for true crime fans—and investigative wisdom for gumshoes with and without a badge. Buy it here, and check out Nyberg's recent article in PursuitMag.

🔔 SUBSCRIBE to our YouTube channel to watch these episodes: /pieducation

✅ NEED INVESTIGATOR CE? We've got you covered: pieducation.com

🔥 STAY INFORMED with articles by and for investigators: pursuitmag.com


Pursuit Magazine and PI Education are part of StoryboardEMP, a media and education company in Nashville, TN. Pursuit, a free online magazine for private investigators, explores all things investigative, from gumshoe techniques and surveillance tech to industry news and crime in media. PI Education, its sister brand, provides high-quality online continuing education for licensed PIs. Pursuit and PIed are owned and edited by husband-wife team Hal Humphreys, a PI, and Kim Green, a writer and radio producer.

At this channel, you'll find an archive of briefings and webinars that dive deep into the work and the business of private investigations. Every month, we make more free stuff for you at this channel and PursuitMag, thanks to our generous expert-colleagues who contribute their expertise. And at PI Education, you can dive even deeper into the knowledge pool of this fascinating profession, with quality multimedia courses on dozens of topics. Subscribe to stay up to date!

Join host Hal Humphreys and his guest, Philip Becnel, as they talk about how and why to document your investigation. Becnel is managing partner of Dinolt, Becnel & Wells Investigative Group in the D.C. area and the author of two books: Introduction to Conducting Private Investigations and Principles of Investigative Documentation, first published in 2012.

Becnel has written a new edition (of the latter) in his own voice, complete with war stories and biting commentary. It's an essential guide to any investigator who works complex litigation and criminal cases. Buy it here, and read an excerpt at PursuitMag.

🔔 SUBSCRIBE to our YouTube channel to watch these episodes: /pieducation

✅ NEED INVESTIGATOR CE? We've got you covered: pieducation.com

🔥 STAY INFORMED with articles by and for investigators: pursuitmag.com


Pursuit Magazine and PI Education are part of StoryboardEMP, a media and education company in Nashville, TN. Pursuit, a free online magazine for private investigators, explores all things investigative, from gumshoe techniques and surveillance tech to industry news and crime in media. PI Education, its sister brand, provides high-quality online continuing education for licensed PIs. Pursuit and PIed are owned and edited by husband-wife team Hal Humphreys, a PI, and Kim Green, a writer and radio producer.

At this channel, you'll find an archive of briefings and webinars that dive deep into the work and the business of private investigations. Every month, we make more free stuff for you at this channel and PursuitMag, thanks to our generous expert-colleagues who contribute their expertise. And at PI Education, you can dive even deeper into the knowledge pool of this fascinating profession, with quality multimedia courses on dozens of topics. Subscribe to stay up to date!

Surveillance: a French loaner word derived from the verb, "surveiller" — "to oversee/watch."

Thanks to a few terrible PI reality shows, most of the world thinks catching cheaters is all P.I.s do. In fact, some investigators do specialize in domestic surveillance. Others, including Hal and John, have taken occasional surveillance assignments over the years, often in cases involving custody disputes or personal injury claims.

The surveillance operative's job is to observe and document and, occasionally, testify about what they saw. The job can seem deceptively easy. But doing it well without being "burned" is not as simple as it seems. Listen in as Hal and John share experiences, talk best practices, and laugh about how "unnecessary human drama" is a P.I.'s bread and butter.

🔔 SUBSCRIBE to our YouTube channel to watch these episodes: /pieducation

✅ NEED INVESTIGATOR CE? We've got you covered: pieducation.com

🔥 STAY INFORMED with articles by and for investigators: pursuitmag.com


Pursuit Magazine and PI Education are part of StoryboardEMP, a media and education company in Nashville, TN. Pursuit, a free online magazine for private investigators, explores all things investigative, from gumshoe techniques and surveillance tech to industry news and crime in media. PI Education, its sister brand, provides high-quality online continuing education for licensed PIs. Pursuit and PIed are owned and edited by husband-wife team Hal Humphreys, a PI, and Kim Green, a writer and radio producer.

At this channel, you'll find an archive of briefings and webinars that dive deep into the work and the business of private investigations. Every month, we make more free stuff for you at this channel and PursuitMag, thanks to our generous expert-colleagues who contribute their expertise. And at PI Education, you can dive even deeper into the knowledge pool of this fascinating profession, with quality multimedia courses on dozens of topics. Subscribe to stay up to date!

What's attorney-client privilege and work product? When should you deliver written vs. oral reports? Should you document all witness interviews? What information is discoverable?

Join Hal Humphreys and John Nardizzi with their guest, defense attorney Jennifer Sunderland, as they talk about what private investigators need to know about rules of professional conduct when they work with attorneys.

🔔 SUBSCRIBE to our YouTube channel to watch these episodes: /pieducation

✅ NEED INVESTIGATOR CE? We've got you covered: pieducation.com

🔥 STAY INFORMED with articles by and for investigators: pursuitmag.com


Pursuit Magazine and PI Education are part of StoryboardEMP, a media and education company in Nashville, TN. Pursuit, a free online magazine for private investigators, explores all things investigative, from gumshoe techniques and surveillance tech to industry news and crime in media. PI Education, its sister brand, provides high-quality online continuing education for licensed PIs. Pursuit and PIed are owned and edited by husband-wife team Hal Humphreys, a PI, and Kim Green, a writer and radio producer.

At this channel, you'll find an archive of briefings and webinars that dive deep into the work and the business of private investigations. Every month, we make more free stuff for you at this channel and PursuitMag, thanks to our generous expert-colleagues who contribute their expertise. And at PI Education, you can dive even deeper into the knowledge pool of this fascinating profession, with quality multimedia courses on dozens of topics. Subscribe to stay up to date!