About Mike Toth
At the Core, I'm an Investigator.
Mike Toth has spent his career examining evidence, interviewing people and making investigative decisions, first in law enforcement and later in private investigations. He has worked cases firsthand, supervised investigative operations and reviewed investigations that others considered complete.
Across those roles, his approach has remained consistent: establish what the evidence supports, question assumptions and identify what still needs to be investigated.
A Career Built Around Investigations
Mike’s law enforcement career included service as a deputy sheriff in Mineral County, Montana, as a Seattle police officer and as a detective with the Renton Police Department’s Major Property Crimes Unit. He later returned to Mineral County and served as sheriff from 2020 through 2023.
In 2010, Mike founded Elite Investigations, expanding his work into the private sector. His investigative experience has included criminal defense investigations, fraud investigations, major case reviews, witness development, surveillance and complex civil investigations.
Today, Mike continues to investigate criminal defense, fraud and complex civil matters while drawing on his experience as both an investigator and a former sheriff. He also founded and serves as president of the Montana Association of Licensed Investigators.
Looking Beyond What's Already There
One of the most valuable perspectives Mike has developed comes from receiving cases after substantial investigative work has already occurred.
A thick case file is not the same as a complete investigation. Mike looks beyond what has already been documented to ask three essential questions:
• What does the evidence establish?
• What assumptions or gaps still need to be tested?
• What additional interviews, verification or fieldwork could change our understanding?
Technology and reports are valuable tools. Neither replaces sound judgment, curiosity or the willingness to ask one more question.
Sharing the Lessons
Mike brings lessons from active investigations and law enforcement leadership to media interviews, professional presentations, training and writing. His focus is practical: how investigators test assumptions, recognize missing evidence and make better decisions under uncertainty.
His television and documentary experience includes Oxygen’s Murdered and Missing in Montana, along with regional news coverage and investigative interviews. He also speaks to professional audiences about investigative fundamentals, fraud prevention and working effectively with private investigators.
