The following is an official statement from Covert Results, LLC regarding our investigators’ involvement in the investigation and location of missing person Courtney Reese.
Covert Results was retained on September 8, 2026, to assist in the search for Courtney Reese, who had last been seen in the Donelson area of Nashville on August 18, 2026.
From the outset, our goal was simple: develop credible information, pursue every viable lead, and assist Courtney’s family in finding answers.
Investigator Katelynn Smith, along with Covert Results Investigators Hutson, Owens, and Wilson, began working the case using a combination of investigative technology, traditional field investigation, community outreach, and human intelligence.
When Technology Wasn’t Enough
Modern missing-person investigations frequently involve electronic and technological resources. In this case, investigators initially attempted to develop location information through available device-related resources.
However, because the device was not powered on, those avenues were limited.
That meant the investigation had to shift heavily toward one of the oldest—and often most important—forms of investigative work: getting into the field, talking to people, developing relationships, and following information wherever it leads.
Covert Results investigators canvassed multiple areas throughout Nashville and spoke with members of the community in an effort to establish Courtney’s recent movements and determine where she may have been staying.
Some of the most useful information came from individuals within Nashville’s unhoused community.
Those conversations helped investigators establish more recent information regarding Courtney’s movements and ultimately narrow the areas in which she was believed to be located.
Working Alongside Metro Nashville Police
Throughout the investigation, Investigator Smith maintained communication with the Metro Nashville Police Department, providing viable leads and information developed during the course of the Covert Results investigation.
Private investigators do not replace law enforcement, nor should they.
In missing-person investigations, however, private investigators can often supplement law-enforcement efforts by dedicating additional time and resources to canvassing neighborhoods, reviewing information, interviewing potential witnesses, conducting surveillance, and following leads that may require extensive field work.
This same philosophy was reflected in our previous missing-person investigation involving Conor Anderson, where investigators combined community interviews, surveillance review, physical searching, and direct field work to narrow the search area.
A Break in the Investigation
On Friday, September 25, a Metro Nashville Police Department patrol officer located Courtney and attempted to make contact with her.
Courtney left the area before the officer was able to maintain contact.
While the encounter did not immediately resolve the case, it provided investigators with something critically important:
A new geographic area to focus on.
Using that information, Investigator Smith began working the East Nashville area in an effort to locate Courtney.
She subsequently found Courtney and was able to make repeated contact with her.
Courtney Reese Located
Once Courtney had been located, Investigator Smith maintained observation while Courtney’s family traveled to the area.
Investigator Hutson later joined Smith, and both investigators remained on scene with Courtney and her family until their meeting concluded.
Most importantly:
Courtney Reese had been located.
Based upon the observations of Covert Results investigators at the time contact was made, there was no indication that Courtney was in immediate physical danger.
Out of respect for Courtney and her family, Covert Results will not release additional information regarding her personal circumstances or the specific location where she was found.
The purpose of releasing this statement is not to publicize private details surrounding Courtney’s circumstances.
It is simply to confirm that our investigators assisted in the investigation, Courtney was successfully located, and her family was given an opportunity to reconnect with her.
Missing-Person Investigations Require Adaptability
Missing-person cases can be some of the most challenging investigations an investigator encounters.
People can move frequently. Electronic devices can be disabled. Information can become outdated within hours. Witnesses may initially appear insignificant but later provide the piece of information that changes the direction of an entire investigation.
There is rarely one single investigative technique that solves every case.
Successful missing-person investigations often require investigators to combine:
- Investigative technology and available digital resources
- Physical surveillance
- Neighborhood canvassing
- Witness interviews
- Community relationships
- Human intelligence
- Law-enforcement coordination
- Persistent field investigation
As this investigation demonstrated, investigators must also be willing to change strategies when one investigative avenue stops producing results.
The original media statement from Investigator Smith describes precisely that progression: when technological resources became limited, the investigation shifted heavily toward field work and community intelligence.
At Covert Results, one of our core values is:
Be Relentless.
Missing-person investigations embody that principle.
Sometimes being relentless means reviewing another piece of surveillance footage.
Sometimes it means knocking on another door.
Sometimes it means having another conversation with someone who may have seen something.
And sometimes it simply means continuing to look when the easiest investigative options have already been exhausted.
The Value of Human Intelligence
Technology has dramatically changed modern investigations, but this case is another reminder that some of the most valuable investigative information still comes from people.
Community members who are frequently overlooked may possess critical information regarding someone’s movements, habits, associates, or recent locations.
That is why effective investigators must be willing to speak with everyone.
In both the Courtney Reese investigation and the earlier Conor Anderson investigation, information developed through conversations with people in the community—including members of Nashville’s unhoused community—helped investigators focus their efforts. The prior Conor Anderson statement similarly emphasized that actionable information came from talking to people, listening, following up, and physically putting investigators on the ground.
Those relationships matter.
So does treating every person providing information with respect.
Another one of our core values at Covert Results is Facts First.
Our investigators work to separate rumor from credible information, corroborate what can be corroborated, and continually adjust an investigation as new facts develop.
Appreciation
Covert Results would like to thank the Metro Nashville Police Department for its involvement throughout this investigation.
We also appreciate the members of the Nashville community who were willing to speak with our investigators and provide information that assisted in developing Courtney’s recent movements and whereabouts.
Missing-person investigations are rarely the work of one person.
They require cooperation, persistence, communication, and a willingness to follow information wherever it leads.
Most importantly, Courtney was located, contact was established, and her family was provided the opportunity to reconnect with her.
That is what matters most.
Respecting the Family’s Privacy
Covert Results understands that there may be public interest surrounding missing-person investigations, especially after an individual has been located.
However, the circumstances surrounding why an adult may have been missing or where they were located can involve intensely personal matters.
For that reason, we ask the public and members of the media to respect Courtney Reese and her family’s privacy.
Covert Results will not release additional information regarding her personal circumstances or the specific location where she was found.
Media Inquiries
All media requests regarding this investigation should be directed to:
