Criminal Defense Investigations

In a criminal case, the prosecution has a whole apparatus working to build its version of events. The defense deserves an independent investigator working just as hard the other direction, and that's the role I fill. I'm Eugene Butler, a licensed Michigan private investigator in Flint, and I support criminal-defense attorneys with the field work a case needs — locating and interviewing witnesses, revisiting the scene, canvassing a neighborhood, and pressure-testing the assumptions in the state's narrative.

A lot of defense investigation comes down to people. Police reports name witnesses but rarely capture everything they know, and some helpful witnesses are never interviewed at all. I track those people down, talk to them, and document what they actually say — including the witness who saw something inconsistent with the official story, or the one who was never asked.

Where it's appropriate and lawful, I'll take a recorded statement so there's a clear record of an account before memories fade or shift. I go back to the scene too, photographing sight lines, distances, lighting, and conditions that a written report flattens out, so your attorney can see what a jury would need to understand. It's defense-side work, but I don't shade my findings to fit a theory.

If what I turn up doesn't help the case, your attorney needs to know that just as much as the helpful facts — surprises belong in the investigation, not in the courtroom. An investigator who only finds convenient answers is useless to a lawyer trying to make real decisions. My job is to bring back the truth, organized and documented, so counsel can build a strategy on solid ground.

Everything I do stays within the law and within the rules that govern this work. I don't tamper with witnesses, coach testimony, misrepresent who I am to someone I'm interviewing, or touch evidence I have no right to handle. Criminal cases get scrutinized closely, and an investigator cutting corners can do real damage to a defendant.

I keep careful records, respect the boundaries, and the work runs in close coordination with defense counsel and at their direction. This practice is available for both retained and court-appointed matters, and the work can usually be scoped to fit the realities of a case budget — focusing the hours where they'll matter most. I won't promise an outcome; no honest investigator can.

What I can promise is diligent, lawful, well-documented work. If you're a defense attorney who needs an investigator, or you're facing charges and your lawyer needs field support, call or text the Butler Investigations office at 810-513-0662.