Certified Legal Investigator
NALI | PPIAC | INTELLENET

Craig Smith, CLI

Investigations for attorneys, law firms and private clients since 2014. Founder of BrightStar Investigations and a U.S. Army veteran of Operation Iraqi Freedom.

Hire through BrightStar Read the profile

3,600+Invoiced matters

4,300+Surveillance hours

50+Court appearances

500+Witness interviews

12Years in continuous practice

What clients say · Google reviews

“Nothing short of a miracle worker.”— AJ Silva

Google review by Aj Silva, 5 stars: “Craig is nothing short of a miracle worker. He confirmed everything my wife & I had suspected about an individual with criminal charges against them—charges where we were the victims. Not only did he verify what we had found, but he also managed to serve a protection order for us immediately. The respondent is notorious for hiding & never leaving his house, yet Craig showed up at the exact right moment to serve him. We were in complete disbelief—we genuinely thought we'd have to return to court to request an extension just to get this done. Beyond his incredible skill & timing, Craig is just a good person—honest to God, one of the truly good ones. He may be unable to make all your problems disappear, but he is a helper; in situations like ours, that means everything. Even in the most challenging moments, he brings a sense of relief, & a little bit of levity & humor, even if just for a little while. We can't recommend him enough.”

“The most dogged investigator I have ever worked with.”— Daniel Kent

Google review by Daniel Kent, 5 stars: “I have worked with Craig Smith for five or six years as an attorney. Craig is the most dogged investigator I have ever worked with in 13 years. It's not case by case; it is baked in to his existence. I just cannot say enough about how dedicated he is to his work and the clients. And he gets results. He gets results that you'd never even think existed without his persistence. His work has been invaluable to my practice.”

“Best most brilliant investigator in Colorado.”— Jamie Kay

Google review by Jamie Kay, 5 stars: “Best most brilliant investigator in Colorado‼️ and I tried over a dozen. He really knows his super spy s*** and doesn’t try and stall and dink around wasting your money. So many of them will try and solve your problem with the slowest baby steps that will take forever and never get the results you paid for. Craig is legit with mad integrity. I think my legal team will probably keep him on their speed dial forevermore.”

“All I can say is WOW.”— Joyfully Retired

Google review by Joyfully Retired, 5 stars: “I've used BrightStar using Craig as our PI twice over the last three years. All I can say is WOW. He really does deliver and goes over and above the call of duty. We have been looking for my missing brother in law for three years. No trace since 2016. We assumed he was deceased. Hiring Craig has gotten us more information then anyone, and now we believe he is still alive. We haven't found him yet, but we now know he appears to be alive and believe we know a more specific location. BrightStar is affordable, reliable, and honestly I appreciate all Craig's hard work and determination to uncover the truth as he works on our project. I will definitely use BrightStar again in the future. Love Craig!!!”

4.7★ on Google · 178 reviews — BrightStar Investigations on Google

Behind the scenes on the John Lott case

A&E · Season 7, Episode 5

Accused: Guilty or Innocent?

“Violent Gunman or Brain Trauma Victim?”

CasePeople v. John Lott
AiredApril 10, 2025
RoleCriminal defense investigator, retained by defense counsel

Watch the episode ↗Media

Behind the scenes · filming for A&E

People v. John Lott · Accused: Guilty or Innocent?

Behind the scenes filming for A&E’s Accused: Guilty or Innocent? (John Lott case): Craig Smith leaning on his desk with the camerawoman behind him; monitor obscured

Behind the scenes filming for A&E’s Accused: Guilty or Innocent? (John Lott case): Craig Smith seated at his desk while the camerawoman films

Behind the scenes filming for A&E’s Accused: Guilty or Innocent? (John Lott case): Craig Smith seated in an office chair facing the camera; family photos on the wall obscured

With John Lott

Craig Smith with John Lott: selfie on a balcony

Craig Smith with John Lott: selfie outside, Craig in a cap

In the media

On camera

Television interviews, studio sessions and time on location over the years.

Craig Smith being interviewed for a television show in an office; screen content obscured — Interview for a television show

Craig Smith standing outdoors with a two-person film crew, mountains behind them — With a film crew on location

Craig Smith seated in a studio facing a television camera, with his image on the camera monitor — On camera, in studio

Craig Smith with F. Lee Bailey — With F. Lee Bailey

Craig Smith with Bobby Brown outdoors; a window reflection obscured — With Bobby Brown

A camera operator filming a woman outdoors at dusk — Behind the scenes

Public court matters

High-Profile Cases

Notable criminal defense and civil matters on which Craig was retained. A full case portfolio is available on request.

People v. John Lott

21CR5956 · 4th Judicial District · El Paso County

ChargesAttempted Murder (2 counts), Assault, Multiple Felony Charges

Criminal Defense Investigator

Retained by defense counsel to conduct a comprehensive investigation into the October 2021 Colorado Springs shooting incident in which the defendant, shot in the head during the altercation, claimed traumatic brain injury affecting memory and conduct.

Featured on A&E’s Accused: Guilty or Innocent? — Season 7, Episode 5, “Violent Gunman or Brain Trauma Victim?” (aired April 10, 2025). Nationally televised.Watch the episode ↗

People v. Shaquille Brown

2023CR5091 · 4th Judicial District · El Paso County

ChargesFirst-Degree Murder, Possession of Weapon by Previous Offender, Child Abuse

Criminal Defense Investigator

Retained by defense counsel in the November 2023 fatal shooting outside the El Paso County Courthouse in Colorado Springs. The victim was carrying a 1-year-old child at the time of the shooting. A high-profile case drawing extensive state and national media attention.

People v. Carie Hallford

23CR4856 · 4th Judicial District · El Paso County

Charges190 Counts Abuse of a Corpse, Money Laundering, Forgery, Theft

Criminal Defense Investigator

Retained by defense counsel in one of Colorado’s most extensively covered criminal cases: the Return to Nature Funeral Home matter, involving the discovery of nearly 190 bodies at the Hallfords’ Penrose funeral home. The case drew national and international media coverage and led to landmark funeral home regulation reform in Colorado (SB 24-173).

People v. Lauren Marie Dooley

22CR5167 · 4th Judicial District · El Paso County

ChargesSecond-Degree Kidnapping, Second-Degree Assault (2 counts), Menacing, False Imprisonment

Criminal Defense Investigator

Retained by defense counsel in the nationally covered 2022 case involving the alleged kidnapping and assault of a Tinder date over a five-hour ordeal in a Colorado Springs apartment. Received significant national media coverage across CNN, Fox News, HuffPost and Reuters.

Club Q shooting — civil litigation

People v. Anderson Lee Aldrich · State & Federal · 4th Judicial District, El Paso County / U.S. District Court, District of Colorado

Charges5 Counts First-Degree Murder, 46 Counts Attempted Murder, Bias-Motivated Crimes; 74 Federal Hate Crimes & Firearms Charges

Civil Litigation Investigative Support

Retained to provide investigative support in civil litigation arising from the November 19, 2022 mass shooting at the Club Q nightclub in Colorado Springs, one of the most significant mass casualty events in Colorado history. Aldrich was ultimately sentenced to 55 concurrent life sentences consecutive to 190 years in federal prison.

People v. Noel Bertrand

11CR1542 · Denver District Court

ChargesSexual Assault by Force, Kidnapping

Post-Conviction Relief Investigator

Conducted a post-conviction relief investigation in the high-profile Denver International Airport sexual assault case. Bertrand, a former U.S. Marine, was convicted by jury of sexual assault by force and sentenced to six years to life. The case received extensive national coverage including CNN, CBS News, Reuters and HuffPost.

Beverly Hills Bodyguard Group — High-Profile Celebrity Investigation

Confidential · Multi-jurisdictional

Confidential engagement

Retained by Beverly Hills Bodyguard Group to conduct sensitive investigative operations on behalf of a high-profile celebrity client. All details remain confidential.

In the pressFeatured on

KRDO NewsChannel 13 is the ABC affiliate for Colorado Springs and Pueblo. Older stories open as Internet Archive copies.

Profile

Careful work, documented so it can be used in court.

Craig Smith founded BrightStar Investigations in 2014 and has led it as principal investigator through more than 3,600 documented matters: criminal defense, surveillance, missing persons, skip tracing and intelligence work for clients in Colorado, nationwide and abroad.

His investigations have been admitted as evidence, and he has testified in criminal and civil proceedings. He holds a BA in Intelligence Studies, with a minor in Arabic, from Mercyhurst University’s Institute for Intelligence Studies, and an MS Ed. from Canisius College. Before that, he served in the U.S. Army with the 4th Infantry Division, including the invasion phase of Operation Iraqi Freedom.

Full biography →