2024 Rocky Mountain Investigators Conference

‘The Business of Investigations’

H. Ellis Armistead is a Certified Legal Investigator, one of only 66 in the world. In 2016, Mr. Armistead became the honored recipient of the Lifetime Achievement Award from the Professional Private Investigators Association of Colorado (PPIAC). He is a member of the National Association of Legal Investigators (NALI), Intellenet, PPIAC, and the Council of International Investigators. Mr. Armistead has investigated thousands of cases, both for the prosecution and the defense. He has worked with notable clients including the parents of JonBenét Ramsey, Oklahoma City bomber Timothy McVeigh, and the parents of Columbine shooter Eric Harris. To see Mr. Armistead’s comprehensive experience, please click here for his CV.

H. Ellis Armistead received a BA from Vanderbilt University and a MPA from the University of Colorado at Denver. In 1972, he began his law enforcement career with the Decatur Alabama Police Department serving as a police officer and police sergeant. In 1975 Mr. Armistead joined the Lakewood, Colorado Police Department where he remained until 1984, serving as a police officer, homicide detective, and police sergeant.

In 1985, Mr. Armistead became the Chief Investigator for the Office of the District Attorney in the 14th Judicial District of Colorado. In 1991 he formed H. Ellis Armistead and Associates, Inc. a legal investigation firm specializing in defense investigations of homicides and other violent crimes. In 2006 Mr. Armistead’s firm was acquired by Heartland Information Services of Minneapolis. Mr. Armistead served as the President of Heartland Investigative Group until 2013, when he returned home to Colorado to continue practicing.

Kelly E. Riddle is the President of Kelmar Global. Kelly has more than 43 years of investigative experience

Professional Experience Narrative: Mr. Riddle is the President of Kelmar Global Investigations and has more than 42 years of investigative experience. He earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Criminal Justice from the University of North Alabama. He has been designated an expert in surveillance, insurance investigations, nursing home abuse, and computer investigations. He was chosen as the “PI of the Year” by the National Association of Investigative Specialists and the PI Magazine named Mr. Riddle as the “#1 PI in the United States.” Both organizations named him as “One of the Top 25 PIs of the 20th Century.” Kelly obtained his Texas Certified Investigator designation (held by less than 50 people in Texas). Mr. Riddle served as President of the Texas Association of Licensed Investigators (TALI,) from 2010-2012 as well as being a member of the TALI Board of Directors (2007-2010) and TALI Legislation Committee (2010 – present). Kelly was the recipient of the 2013 Investigator of the Year award, the highest recognition presented by TALI. He was also named one of America’s Top PIs of 2022 by PI Magazine.

Kelly serves on the Board of Directors of Intellent – International Intelligence Network as well as being the Intellent Education Director. Mr. Riddle is on the Board of Directors for the National Council of Investigation and Security Services (NCISS), as well as their Treasurer and Ethics Committee Chairman. Kelly serves on the Advisory Board for FAPI – the Florida Association of Private Investigators and is on the Public Relations Committee for the Council of International Investigators. Kelly served on the Board of Directors and was a Founding Member of the Intellenet Board Accredited Investigator (BAI) certification. Mr. Riddle served as the Region 4 Director for the National Association of Legal Investigators (NALI) from 2021-2023 and is the Membership Chair for the San Antonio Chapter of ASIS.

Mr. Riddle served on the Board of Directors and as the Treasurer for the National Association for Missing and Exploited Children. Kelly formerly served on the Board of Directors for the Freedom of Information Foundation of Texas. Kelly is a Founding Board Member and Board Advisor for the non-profit organization “Can You Identify Me.”

Mr. Riddle is the Founder and President of the PI Institute of Education, as well as the Founder of the Coalition of Association Leaders, comprised of past and present board members from state, national, and international associations. Kelly is the Founder and President of the Association of Christian Investigators with more than 1500 members in the U.S. and 19 countries.

Mr. Riddle is the author of 14 books, co-author of 3 books, and has published more than 40 articles. Kelly has been the guest speaker at more than 850 events and has been featured in newspapers, magazines, national television, radio, and podcast programs. Kelly was also presented with the NALI Editor-Publisher Award in 2004. Mr. Riddle is a regular contributor to the Working PI industry publication. Mr. Riddle serves on the conference committee for the Alabama PI Association and the Texas Association of Licensed Investigators.

Mr. Riddle’s prior law enforcement experience includes being a member of the SWAT team, a Training Officer, an Emergency Medical Technician, an Evidence Technician, an Arson Investigator, a Juvenile Interdiction Specialist, and a Traffic Investigator.

Mr. Riddle is a member of TALI, NAIS, INTELLENET, NALI, FALI, FAPI, CALI, ASIS, NCISS, USAPI, ACI, PICA, WIN, CII, NLLI, CTIP, CLEAR, IOPIA, TIDA, ASSIST, ISPLA

Don Redl is the Managing Partner of Executive Options LLC, A Florida State licensed Private Investigation Agency. He holds two Board Certifications: Professional Certified Investigator, PCI by designation through ASIS International and Certified Forensic Interviewer, CFI-FTER by designation through the Criminal Defense Council. He has over 27 years of experience conducting complex investigations, security consulting and/or client based training operations from coast-to-coast and internationally. He holds professional licensure in the states of New York and Florida.

Don is a published author of three industry related books: “Get off the X” Be Your Own Executive Protection Agent (2017), “Fighting Handgun” The Art and Science of Defensive Shooting (2019) and “Force-on-Force” Lessons Learned (2022). He has over 26 years as a NYS DCJS certified Firearms and General Topics Instructor, 22 years as certified Scenario Based Force-on-Force Instructor and 10 years as a certified Active Shooter Response Instructor. He has investigated and acted as a subject matter expert in catastrophic AirSoft and/or Force-on-Force injury cases on both private and government matters. Don is a member of professional associations, including Professional Private Investigators Association of Colorado and Florida Association of Licensed Investigators.

J.P. Moore is an Assistant Regulation Counsel for the Colorado Supreme Court Office of Attorney Regulation Counsel. Mr. Moore earned his undergraduate degree from the University of Oregon and his law degree from the University of Colorado School of Law. Mr. Moore was a Deputy District Attorney, Senior Deputy District Attorney and Chief Trial Deputy with the 17th Judicial District Attorney’s Office and a Chief Deputy District Attorney with the 18th Judicial District Attorney’s Office. Prior to joining OARC, Mr. Moore was in private practice focusing on criminal defense.

Mr. Paison is an attorney and the managing partner in the law firm of Paison & Rogers, LLC. He has practiced law for over thirty years. His practice encompasses civil litigation and transactions with an emphasis on real property and commercial law. His extensive experience includes title insurance defense; planning, zoning and code enforcement; construction and development; condominium conversions and development, and HOA representation; landlord/tenant law; broker/lender/appraiser licensing and regulatory proceedings; housing discrimination; and, probate matters including estate planning, estate tax considerations, wills, trusts, elder law issues, fiduciary matters and probate litigation and administration. He has additional experience in securities law and SEC practice including public and private placements, business planning, choice of entity and formation, and corporate governance; liquor and cabaret licensing and enforcement; creditor-debtor relations and commercial collections; and, employment law. His litigation and appellate experience extends to federal and state courts, and administrative proceedings.

A native of Colorado, Mr. Paison became a licensed real estate broker while studying business at the University of Colorado. After receiving his undergraduate degree in Business Administration, he practiced as a C.P.A., bank auditor and fraud auditor for a national accounting firm. Mr. Paison sold real estate during the 1980s and served as a member of the Foreclosure Task Force at the University of Colorado at Denver, Center for Community Development and Design, studying and designing programs and strategies to assist HUD in recycling foreclosed properties in the Denver metropolitan area. Mr. Paison later studied law at the University of Denver where he received his J.D. He has since integrated his interdisciplinary education and experience to focus his practice in the areas of property and commercial law.

Toby has a background in Business Analytics and has worked in Digital Marketing for 10 years. He specializes in multi-channel marketing strategy development for small – medium sized businesses. He has been a public speaker for a number of different trade associations around the country and has created marketing educational curriculum for several Chambers of Commerce, trade specific associations as well as a local community college in the Salt Lake City area where he lives.

More information to follow

Rachel Roberts has worked a wide variety of state and federal misdemeanor and felony criminal defense cases ranging from capital murder to securities fraud. Rachel has investigative experience in all stages of proceedings, from before the filing of charges to post-conviction relief. She is adept with computer assisted reporting techniques and is well-versed with a variety of digital discovery. For the last several years, Rachel has worked cases in conjunction with local and national Innocence Projects, and her work also includes the occasional plaintiff’s civil rights suit.

Rachel is one of 59 active Certified Legal Investigators (CLI) in North America, a highly regarded credential conferred by the National Association of Legal Investigations (NALI) upon those who pass rigorous written and oral examinations in investigating civil and criminal law. Rachel became a Board Certified Criminal Defense Investigator (CCDI) in 2018, and in 2021, she was the recipient of NALI’s National Director’s award. Rachel has been a senior member of the Professional Private Investigators Association of Colorado (PPIAC) since 2016, and previously served on the board for PPIAC from 2017 to 2023. Rachel is currently the Region V Director for NALI after chairing NALI’s Membership Committee from 2019 to 2022.