Accused Loveland Man Hires PI

Stephen Accomando, a Loveland man accused of plotting to murder his wife, has hired a private investigator to look into the background of the state's primary witness in the case.

Police arrested Accomando, 42, late last month after his stepbrother, James Henderson, contacted police and claimed the two had conspired to kill Accomando's wife while Accomando was in California, according to Loveland police.

Ins and Outs of Mystery Shopping

Mystery shopping, spotting, secret shopping - call it what you will, it has captured the attention of those looking for employment and those who think they have found the perfect job opportunity. Most private investigative agencies have a branch of their agency that performs this type of work. There also are companies that solely provide mystery shopping to companies.

Valentine's Day Time to Expose Cheats

The lead-up to Valentine's Day is an ideal time to catch out cheating partners as they try to satisfy both their spouse and lover, private investigators say.

They claim the weeks before February 14 are when cheaters leave most evidence of their affairs, such as receipts for romantic gifts or suggestive texts.

Port of Seattle Says it Will Hire Fraud Investigator

The Port of Seattle says it will hire an independent investigator to look into possible fraud and contracting problems identified in a state audit.

The port is asking state Auditor Brian Sonntag to recommend an investigator.

Commissioner Bill Bryant says the investigation is needed to restore public trust in the port, which operates Sea-Tac Airport and shipping on the Seattle waterfront.

The state audit found the port wasted $97 million in spending, including some overruns on the third runway project at the airport.

'Sizzle' lost from Old Settlers

Delphi Chamber of Commerce lost a valuable item after last year's Carroll County Old Settler's celebration. Members need to find the item because it provides one of the most needed services to vendors and exhibitors at the event.

The missing item is the electric wire used to supply power from the downtown junction boxes to the rides and booths. One local private investigator, a Carroll County native, has offered to find the missing item free of charge.

Going to Google Before Going Out With Your Date

Friday night in South Tampa is always a big night. On this night, happy hour always seems to be a bit happier at watering holes like MacDinton's. The thirty yard line outside the patio that stretches to Howard Avenue proves it. Inside guys like Anthony Salotto are dropping their best lines, “I am dead sexy” says the 26-year-old transplant from New Jersey.

Amidst the spirits there is plenty of technology and women are using it. Nearly every woman we spoke with has either heard of someone or they themselves have “Googled” a person that they are interested in. The reason? There is a whole mix of them. “Combination, married, record, just nuts” says Ayana Gibson.

Hollywood Investigator to Be His Own Lawyer

A federal judge ruled on Wednesday that Anthony Pellicano, the Hollywood private investigator facing trial on wiretapping and conspiracy charges, can represent himself at trial next month. Judge Dale S. Fischer of United States District Court said she was bound by Supreme Court case law to let Mr. Pellicano do so, but urged him to reconsider. The ruling raises the prospect that Mr. Pellicano, who often grabbed the limelight in his career as an investigator to the stars, would again take center stage at his trial, set to begin Feb. 27.

PI Life No TV Show

Life as a private investigator is like a slice out of TV’s Magnum PI but without the car chases, prowling dogs, sprawling mansions and loud shirts on sunbaked beaches.

"Okay," says Clinton Bowerman, "being a private investigator isn’t at all like it is portrayed by Hollywood. There’s a lot more paperwork.

Exclusive: Private Investigator Speaks Out About Szostak Case

"We strongly believe that somebody out there knows something, saw something, heard something or was told something about what happened to Josh," said Private Investigator Patrick Anastasi.

On December 22nd, Josh Szostak went out to hit the Albany bars with some friends. He parked outside the Elbo Room on Delaware and Morton. The group later went to the Bayou café downtown. After midnight, he separated from his friends - and vanished.

Wrong Man on Death Row?

Who left the male DNA? And how did it get there?

C.J. Ford, an Anaheim private investigator hired by Clair, now 48, called Friday for prosecutors to aggressively seek answers.

"Now they can find out who did it," Ford said.

Clair, a transient with an armed robbery conviction in Louisiana, has argued for his innocence, but has lost in appeal after appeal.

Computer Forensics Faces Private Eye Competition

The Internet is boundless and cybercrime scenes stretch from personal desktops across the fiber networks that circle the globe. Digital forensic investigators like Harold Phipps, vice president of industry relations at Norcross Group in Norcross, Ga., routinely slip across conventional geographic jurisdictions in pursuit of digital evidence and wrongdoers.

Lawmakers across the Savannah River in Columbia, S.C., have different ideas, however. Under pending legislation in South Carolina, digital forensic evidence gathered for use in a court in that state must be collected by a person with a PI license or through a PI licensed agency.