By Ashley Benkarski
NASHVILLE, TN — Heather Cohen may not look like most people’s idea of a private investigator, but that just works to her advantage.
Oddly enough, her bright red hair and tattoos allow her the element of surprise, but it’s her tenacity to see justice served that’s led to a successful career in PI work and bounty hunting.
Cohen is a PI featured on a new series, “Secrets, Lies, and Private Eyes” which also follows three other teams of dedicated women investigators.
Cohen is based in Nashville but takes on cases around the state and in Kentucky.
When Cohen was approached with the idea of being part of the show’s focus she wouldn’t let herself get excited. “I kept my cool and treated it as a normal job,” she recalled.
Her line of work is anything but what most consider normal.
Cases of infidelity and fraud are often associated with private investigations, but Cohen tries to focus on criminal defense and cold cases.
With criminal defense cases, a life can depend on Cohen’s work.
Viewers get a behind-the-scenes look at this process as Cohen navigates the case of Justin Williams, a father on trial for the 2018 shooting death of William Tinker, Jr. in Hardin County.
While most see an orange jumpsuit and decide to look away, she understands that sometimes the criminal justice system fails and things aren’t always what they seem.
But just because she takes on these cases doesn’t mean she takes sides—Cohen wants to make sure justice is served.
“Unless you’ve been through it, you don’t understand it,” she said of her experiences with criminal defense.
Cohen is available to take on cases in Tennessee and Kentucky and can be reached at hmcinvestigations@gmail.com.
She recently wrote a book about her journey, “Memoirs of the Justice Warrior,” which is available on Amazon.
“Secrets, Lies and Private Eyes” premiered Sept.15 and can be streamed on discovery+.
