Title: 1) Owner, Private Investigator 2) Radio Talk Show Host
Company: 1) Special Circumstances 2) PI’s Declassified!
Location: El Sobrante, CA United States

With more than 30 years of professional experience, Francie Koehler is currently serving as the owner and private investigator of Special Circumstances, which provides detective services to its clients. There, she is responsible for locating, interviewing and evaluating witnesses for criminal defense trials, collecting evidence, helping attorneys prepare for trial, and conducting pre- and post-trial investigations. Ms. Koehler is also a radio talk show host for “PI’s Declassified,” an Internet broadcast that airs every Thursday at 9 a.m. PST on voiceamerica.com, and features interviews with private investigators and calls from listeners.

Ms. Koehler became involved in her profession after being recruited to work in the industry. She is a certified criminal defense investigator, and holds a bachelor’s degree in criminal justice. She is a member of the Council of International Investigators, the World Association of Detectives and the California Attorneys for Criminal Justice. She is also the former two-term president of NCISS and the California Association of Licensed Investigators.

Over the years, Ms. Koehler’s work has resulted in a plethora of media attention, including cases being featured on an episode of “Unsolved Mysteries” and being chronicled by crime writer Ann Rule. She was also invited to Moscow to speak to Russian nationals interested in privatization. She has been the recipient of a number of awards and recognition, the most impressive of which was the Investigator Philosopher Award from the Criminal Defense Investigation Counsel. This award was never bestowed to anyone prior to her.

Ms. Koehler attributes her success to her loyal clients. She also notes that her tough skin and impeccable work ethic have helped separate her from her peers. Despite her achievements, she continues to work within her community doing pro-bono work on missing persons’ cases, working with the Santa Clara University Innocence Project and serving as a subject matter expert for the California private investigators licensing examination. She also chairs the California legislation committee.

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