What We Do
We know how to obtain accurate and timely information that serves our clients’ interests.
Excellence starts with having the right people.
We not only want to know what happened, but why.
We are not afraid of technology… and we still knock on doors.
VTPrivateye LLC is a very experienced, highly reputable private investigation agency, specializing in criminal, civil & family court investigations, sentencing advocacy and mitigation; death penalty mitigation; due diligence and litigation support, including but not limited to: witness interviews; sentencing videos; settlement videos for civil cases; “Day In the Life” videos; background checks; records research; process serving; surveillance; and asset checks. Attorneys and individuals all over Vermont, New York and throughout the United States and the world call on us, because we know how to obtain accurate and timely information that serves our clients’ interests.
Susan Randall has more than 25 years experience working as an investigator in Vermont, and has worked all over New England and the U.S., and even around the world. Investigator Merry Postemski has been an investigator for over three decades, investigating on behalf of Disability Rights Vermont, and within the criminal justice system. Investigator Judy Cutler is also an attorney, with extensive legal writing and analysis background. Judy also has decades of investigative experience, having worked as a Special Agent in the Counterintelligence Division of the FBI, and on the FBI Evidence Response team in New York City. Judy has also worked as an investigator with the Vermont Agency of Education, assisting with licensing and special education complaints, and as a public records specialist. Investigator Wendy Loomis recently joined VTPI after 15 years of service as the former Executive Director of the Children’s Advocacy Center and Special Investigation Units in Rutland, Vermont. Wendy has a deep understanding of the medical, legal and criminal justice systems. Wendy has extensive training and is a seasoned forensic interviewer. Each investigator on our team brings a wealth of unique investigative knowledge to VTPI. All of VTPI’s investigators show meticulous attention to detail, and have excellent interpersonal skills. After many decades of doing this work, in many diverse fields, we know what it takes to produce results, and can help discern what is needed for investigation on a case. We are all licensed private investigators in Vermont, and Susan is also licensed in New York.
Excellence starts with having the right people. Our team of investigators has over 100 years of combined experience working on all kinds of legal cases, which greatly benefits any investigation. Our older more experienced investigators work collaboratively with our tech savvy younger investigators, to bring you the best and most thorough cross-generational investigation possible. This often includes everything from brainstorming legal strategy, to in-depth witness interviews, to digging deep and finding any/all social media or online information that exists to benefit your case. In 2024, legal investigations are simply not thorough without a deep dig into what exists online and on social media. We bring decades of legal experience to a team of young energetic, investigating sleuths. Our team has the best of both worlds - seasoned investigators who know how to speak with anyone and get the goods, working with young ambitious investigators who are tech savvy and can find anything online.
One of the things that sets VTPrivateye, LLC apart from other private investigation firms, is the way in which we go about our work. We take time to get to know our clients and to understand the story behind the story. We not only want to know what happened, but why. We connect with each person we interview, so they can feel safe enough to truly open up, tell us what they know, and what they believe really happened. We approach every investigation with sensitivity and compassion for those involved. We not only conduct fact investigation, but we plan for the end of a case at the very beginning, building strong mitigating evidence that will really help your client when it comes time for sentencing.
We are highly experienced strategic thinkers, who are intellectually innovative, while still being hands-on and focused. We are world-wise, seasoned, knowledgeable, and compassionate. We have contacts across the country and internationally, so when you work with us, you are linked in to a network of knowledgeable resources around the world. We are not afraid of technology, and yet we still knock on doors.
Most of all, VTPrivateye, LLC is attentive, responsive and thorough. We are committed to dignity, integrity, compassion and justice.
Who
We Are:
President
VAISS: Vermont Association of Investigative & Security Services
Member
NCISS: The National Council of Investigation and Security Services
NDIA: National Defense Investigator Association
NLADA/NASAMS: National Legal Advocacy and Defense Association/National Association of Sentencing Advocates and Mitigation Specialists
Susan Randall, Owner and Investigator
Susan Randall is the owner and founder of VTPrivateye, LLC. Susan has worked as a private investigator in Vermont for over 25 years, working closely with a wide range of attorneys, on civil, state and federal cases. She is a fully licensed Private Investigator in Vermont and New York State. She has worked as a Mitigation Specialist on capital, federal and state cases. Susan has helped prepare countless state and federal cases for trial. She also worked as an investigator and Mitigation Specialist with the Federal Public Defender's Office, in Burlington, Vermont throughout 2012 and 2013.
Prior to working as an investigator, Susan worked as a journalist in the newsroom at the MacNeil/Lehrer NewsHour in NYC. She went on to work as an Associate Producer for the A&E Television Network on the hit series, Biography, and worked freelance producing pieces for the BBC, and filed stories for NPR’s, All Things Considered and Morning Edition. Susan worked in documentary film in New York City, and in the past twenty years, Susan has dovetailed her work as a filmmaker and investigator, producing over thirty-five mitigation sentencing videos, which have been used both before and at sentencing, to work toward downward departures. Susan & her team have also worked with other filmmakers and editors to produce many settlement and “Day In the Life” videos for civil cases, which have been used for mediation/settlement purposes, for Personal Injury cases, and to help present cases to jury focus groups.
Susan Randall received a BA from Brown University in International Relations and Modern Culture and Media. Susan continues to attend and teach Investigator and Mitigation Specialist trainings all over the country. In 2022 she participated and benefitted tremendously from the ACLU’s Scharlette Holdmann Mitigation Mentorship Program. Susan has taught many investigator trainings for the NDIA, VTACDL, Vermont Law School, and NLADA and NASAMS, and New England Investigators’ associations.
Susan is President of the Vermont Association of Investigative and Security Services, [VAISS] where she coordinates trainings for investigators around Vermont, and advocates for better pay and resources for her investigator peers, and to keep public records available. She tries to help her fellow investigators stay informed of new cutting edge technology and online investigations, which is increasingly important to the profession. When she’s not investigating, or delving into creative film, writing or yoga/wellness projects, Susan can usually be found adventuring with her husband, and 20 & 22 year-old daughter and son, traveling, and decompressing in nature.
Merry Postemski, Lead Investigator
Merry Postemski has worked in Vermont’s criminal justice system for over 25 years, and as an investigator for more than 20 years. Merry obtained a Master’s of Science in Counseling Psychology from the College of St. Joseph, in Rutland, Vermont, in 1998, after getting her B.A., in Forensic Psychology, from Castleton State College in 1993.
Prior to joining VTPrivateye, LLC as a licensed investigator in 2022, Merry worked for 21 years as a Legal Advocate and Senior Investigator for Disability Rights Vermont (DRVT), a federally funded non-profit law office. Merry’s primary role at DRVT, in addition to advocating the rights of people with disabilities, was to conduct abuse and neglect investigations, including death investigations, in inpatient psychiatric facilities, prisons, juvenile justice facilities, residential care facilities, and in the community.
Merry has presented statewide and nationally on a variety of topics, including: Interviewing People with Intellectual Disabilities; Interviewing Youth and Staff in Juvenile Justice Facilities; FAPE and the IDEA in Juvenile Detention and Adult Correctional Facilities; Diversion and Access to Mental Health in Prisons and Jails; and Breaking Down Barriers within the System of Care.
In addition to extensive work in the field as an investigator and advocate, Merry’s prior experience includes working as a mental health clinician within the Vermont Department of Corrections, as the Statewide Director of Vermont’s former Pre- Sentence Alternative Program, a family crisis worker and mediator, and a therapeutic foster parent. Merry has been a long-time volunteer with her local Court Diversion and Restorative Justice Center.
Merry’s incredible depth of experience in the criminal justice system and within Corrections, and her passion for investigation work is a perfect fit for the unparalleled compassion, devotion, and attention to detail that the VTPrivateye, LLC team brings to the pursuit of justice. We feel very lucky to have Merry’s level of skill and expertise on our team.
Judy Cutler, Lead Investigator
Judy Cutler has worked as an investigator on the federal and state levels for over 14 years. After graduating from Andrews University in 2001 with an English Literature degree, Judy continued her educational adventure at Vermont Law School, graduating with a J.D. from VLS in 2005. Soon realizing that she was better suited to fact finding than advocacy, Judy applied to the Federal Bureau of Investigation and graduated from the FBI Academy in Quantico, VA in 2008. Judy worked as an FBI Agent in the New York Field Office until 2014 and enjoyed nearly every minute of it. In a decision that Judy re-examines from time to time, Judy moved back to her home state of Vermont to raise her family. Judy worked at the Vermont Agency of Education for eight years, primarily investigating conduct complaints against licensed educators and violations of special education law, but also serving as the AOE’s public records officer for six years. Before joining VTPrivateye, Judy took a short, but delightful, detour from her professional trajectory in 2022 and worked at The Manghis Bakery in Montpelier, VT for a little over a year.
As a native Vermonter, Judy is thrilled to be working at VTPrivateye, traveling the roads of Vermont, and talking to the unfailingly interesting people who live in our state. When she’s not working, Judy enjoys baking, going for runs with her friends, stacking firewood, and trying unsuccessfully to beat her kids at Mario Kart.
Nick Phillippo, Lead Investigator
Nick Phillippo graduated from the University of Rhode Island with a B.A. in Criminology and Criminal Justice. Nick returned to Vermont after graduating from college and started working at VTPrivateye LLC as an investigative intern. He was a quick study, and immediately started adding a lot of value to the investigation on our cases. After many months of shadowing numerous other investigators and absorbing as much information as possible, Nick found he had a real passion for investigation and soon became a licensed investigator in the State of Vermont. Ever since getting his PI license, Nick has been working and learning alongside others in the office, diligently investigating many criminal state cases. Nick has a genuine desire to find the truth and he enjoys making connections with witnesses and clients. He has an open, unassuming and humble demeanor, and he is easy for witnesses and clients to talk to. Nick is always willing to assist on a case, and has proven to be a very effective and tenacious investigator, as well as an excellent writer. Nick is a fast learner, has a great attitude, is eager to learn and has been enjoying being mentored by the more senior investigators at VTPrivateye. He brings technical savvy to our team, and has shown a real gift for surveillance. We are all very grateful to have Nick and his positive energy on VTPrivateye’s investigative team!
Mia Farnella, Lead Investigator
Mia Farnella graduated from Johns Hopkins University with a B.A. in Political Science, where she spent four years competing as a Division 1 athlete as a member of the Hopkins Women's Lacrosse team under legendary Coach Janine Tucker. While at Hopkins, Mia found great joy in coaching youth through Harlem Lacrosse and discovered her passion and curiosity for leadership. Fascinated by team dynamics, she conducted research in social entrepreneurship and leadership theory with a focus on mindfulness.
The summer before her junior year of college, Mia was tragically struck by a car in the middle of a crosswalk. She sustained two spinal fractures and terrible vertigo. This experience gave Mia a front row seat into the world of motor vehicle accident/personal injury settlements, as well as how modern day medicine addresses pain. This unfortunate event deepened Mia’s compassion and empathy for our clients who have experienced similar traumatic events, and incentivizes her to help others facing challenges related to personal injury and loss.
After college, Mia moved to Nantucket Island and got exposure to various career paths: cannabis, artisanal pasta-making, and blacksmithing. Mia gets along with people from all walks of life, which makes it easy for her to speak with anyone and everyone. Mia joined VTPrivateye in November of 2023 and immediately felt at home. Mia has been diligently learning the ropes of being an investigator, shadowing the older investigators in the office and jumping in on cases. She has also taught us all a lot about social media investigations. Mia is a fast learner, a hard worker and is a natural at investigation work. She is now fully licensed as an investigator in the state of Vermont. Mia’s big smile and friendly laid back personality puts clients and witnesses instantly at ease. Mia’s sharp intellect, quick mind and excellent writing skills and insight have already proven to be highly effective on some of our more difficult cases. Mia is smart and intuitive and is an incredible addition to our team. We feel very fortunate that she decided to move to Vermont and join VTPrivateye. In her off-duty hours, Mia has been enjoying exploring the Green Mountains, cooking, and practicing yoga. She is also passionate about mycology and saving the bees!
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Jonathan Barth, Investigative Support Staff
Jonathan Barth graduated from the University of Saint Andrews in 2019 with a joint degree in French and International Relations with honors. After his time studying in Scotland, Jonathan worked in the Washington, DC area and developed a strong research background while working for non-profits, independent media outlets, civic associations and a law firm. He served as the program director for a human rights foundation where he worked with lawmakers, federal law enforcement, and activist organizations. Jonathan honed his investigative skills while tracking human rights abuses and monitoring war crimes across the Middle East and North Africa. Jonathan has a strong background researching open-source intelligence across social media, and brings his strong writing and research skills to assist the VTPI team. Jonathan is actively applying these skills to his new role as an investigator-in-training and is enjoying supporting VTPI's investigators while he works towards his investigator's license.
Having recently relocated to Vermont after many years of visiting, he is looking forward to exploring more of the state's hiking trails, trout streams, and rich history.