It was a sunny, August afternoon when I called up private investigator Naia Okami. She was hot on the trail of a criminal. I was in need of a scoop.  “The case, as I understand it,” Okami says, “is that somebody essentially beat a Canada goose to death.”  I was listening.  Last week, according to an eyewitness who later posted details of the encounter and pictures of the alleged goose attacker on Reddit, a man took a Canada goose by its neck and slammed it into the concrete sidewalk repeatedly until it was dead. The scene of the crime? Lake Union Park near the Museum of History and Industry. The motive? Unknown. The suspect? Also unknown. Enter Okami of Cascadia Risk Management. Okami, a trans woman who moved to Seattle during the pandemic, has been an investigator for a variety of firms doing work such as internal corporate investigations and NGO investigations for the past decade. This year, she started her own firm, Cascadia Risk Management, where she employs a mostly trans, entirely queer staff. Though she is no one-trick pony, Okami has specialized in animal crimes throughout her career, both as a volunteer and an investigator. One of her highest profile cases was assisting the Furry Detectives, a group of amateur internet sleuths, in the investigation of Adam Britton, an Australian zoologist and crocodile specialist convicted of sexually abusing dozens of dogs. When Okami learned of this goose attack, she knew she had to do something.  “It’s the third time somewhat recently this has happened in Seattle,” Okami says. A day after the goose thrashing at South Lake Union, a driver reportedly drove through a family of Canada geese. Just a few years ago, in 2020, a man beat a Canada goose with a cane and then beheaded it in Green Lake.  “This has to stop,” she says. “They’re animals; they’re protected under both federal and state wildlife law. I have the ability to act, so I feel I had the responsibility to act.”  Okami took the case. Her client? Justice. Her payment? Just desserts. Years back, Okami went viral over a clip of her saying, “On all levels except physical, I am a wolf.” For this, and her style, Redditors have called her unserious. “I’m not your typical gruff ex-cop. I’m early 30s. I dress emo. I listen to emo music. I’m in alt-communities. I don’t look like I do this sort of work, but I do,” Okami says. “I’m passionate about it. I have certifications in it. And I have my own business.” But the “original wolf girl,” as she brands herself, soon had the scent.  She quickly got a tip after announcing her investigation in the original Reddit thread. Someone knew of this goose killer, but they did not know his name. They sent pictures of him to Okami. She compared those photos to the photos she’d seen of the alleged attacker. Both men had the same tattoos. This was her guy. She reached out to her contact with the fuzz (the Seattle Police Department). Do you know this guy? SPD did not immediately respond to The Stranger’s request for comment. Needing more intel, Okami returned to  Reddit to search for witnesses and leads. She’s gotten tips, but no official witness statements or affidavits, which are essential to any criminal investigation. If you have something of substance, reach out to Okami to help her get this guy’s goose. Again, no one is paying her for this. This one’s personal.  “I’ve got the skills, I’ve got some free time,” Okami says. “I don’t like living in a city where people hurt the most vulnerable. I don’t like seeing animals and kids get hurt. I’m a trans woman. I come from the south, where people like me get attacked, and I feel like I need to help protect people more vulnerable.” The post A Private Investigator Is on the Goose Abuse Case appeared first on The Stranger. ...read more read less