28 COBB LIFE | SEPTEMBER 2022
McPhilamy found dozens of
suspect Polaroids when she
visited an old crime scene
for one of her cases. Many
of the photos are more than
50 years old.
unyielding, as she scans her subject for clues and
signatures. Her nails are manicured and she sports heels
with a gun and badge on her hip. She has a poker face
gamblers would envy, only showing you the cards she
wants you to see when the moment is right — a smile
there, a quirked eyebrow here, a brief laugh gone as quick
as it came.
With a background in martial arts and loss
prevention, McPhilamy found herself in a PI oce
transcribing audio when someone suggested she had the
appetite for the job. After years of training and
certifications, she owns her own practice as a licensed
private investigator and security guard. She also serves as
a classroom instructor for both fields. At 5foot,
McPhilamy might seem like she isn’t much of a threat to a
bad guy, but she’s had advanced training in EMT, firearms,
NARTECH, mass attack blade defense, Jujitsu, MMA and
boxing.
Now 15 years into the investigation business,
McPhilamy has a team of investigators and interns in
criminal justice working under her. She’s expanded from
the small oce at the end of the hall to the entire suite
with oces, a classroom and an evidence room under
lock and key.
Though many would assume McPhilamy spends
most of her days tracking cheating spouses and bad
checks, they would be shocked to learn she’s investigated
murders, vehicular homicides and missing persons. She’s
constantly oncall
to work scene investigations across the
state, piecing together scenes involving pedestrian
fatalities, vehicle accidents and factory explosions.
“I do probably 10 of those a week, along with the
other cases,” she said.
S u s p e c t s o f
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