Christina Hester

So nice to meet you! First off, what’s your name? Tell our readers a bit about yourself—where you’re from originally and where you live now.

I’m Christina Hester. I’m originally from Arlington, Texas, and these days I’m based in Ponder, Texas. I’m a former crime scene investigator and the founder and CEO of CSI: Clean Scene Investigators. My team handles crime scene, trauma, and biohazard cleanup across the Dallas/Fort Worth Metroplex.

A lot of people don’t realize that when the first responders leave, a family can be standing there wondering who’s going to help them with the cleanup. That’s where we come in.

I’m also a first-generation college graduate and homeowner, and I host Bloodstains & Breakthroughs, a podcast where I talk with people about what it took to rebuild after some of the hardest moments of their lives.

Tell us one thing you love about where you live now.

I love how quiet the mornings are in Ponder. One of my favorite things to do is step outside at sunrise and give myself 12 minutes before I get pulled into the day. I even have “12 minutes” tattooed on me. With the kind of work I do, there’s something about watching the sky get lighter and having a few minutes to just breathe. I’m grateful I get to start my mornings that way.

Tell us a little more about what your company does and how it started. How does it help your customers?

I’ve been on three sides of the crime scene tape. I was seven when my sister was murdered. Years later, I became a crime scene investigator. Today, I run a company that helps families with what comes after the first responders leave.

My fiancé, Zac Carver, and I started CSI: Clean Scene Investigators because there’s a gap in what happens after a traumatic event. A family can be trying to wrap their heads around losing someone and suddenly have to ask, “Who’s going to clean this up?” I know what it’s like to be the family getting the news. My years as an investigator taught me how to walk into difficult situations, pay attention to the details, and do the work carefully. I wanted to bring both of those experiences to this business.

We handle crime scene, trauma, and biohazard cleanup across the Dallas/Fort Worth metropolitan area and North Texas. That includes unattended deaths, hoarding situations, vehicle biohazards, and odor removal. When someone calls, we talk them through what needs to happen, answer their questions, and handle the cleanup with care and discretion. Sometimes the biggest relief is hearing, “You don’t have to go back in there and do this yourself. We can take care of it.”

If someone wants to start a business, what advice would you give them?

First, don’t be crazy like me. I believed in CSI so much that I put my entire life savings and my 401(k) into starting it. Apparently, my idea of a retirement plan was to start a crime scene cleanup company.

In all seriousness, get comfortable saying what you do out loud. Some of the most valuable conversations I’ve had started with, “Wait, you do what for a living?” That gives me a chance to explain why the work matters. You don’t need a perfect pitch. You need to be able to tell someone who you help, what you do for them, and why you care.

What is one piece of feedback from a happy customer or client that you won't forget?

Two men, ages 71 and 75, called us after an unattended death. Between a broken thumb and a broken big toe, they were already having a hard enough time getting around and doing everyday things. Then they were faced with a cleanup they had no idea how to handle.

What they told me afterward was simple. We’d helped them so much, and they didn’t know what they would’ve done if they’d had to take care of it themselves. That stuck with me. Sometimes the best thing we can do for someone is take one hard thing off their plate when they’re already dealing with more than enough.

Where do you see your company in the future?

I want to franchise CSI: Clean Scene Investigators. We started here in North Texas, but families everywhere face the same question after a traumatic loss: “Who do I call now?”

Death is inevitable, and compassion should be universal. I want to train local teams to handle the cleanup and know how to talk to someone who’s having one of the worst days of their life. That means explaining what happens next, protecting the family’s privacy, and giving them room to make decisions without feeling rushed.

To me, the point of franchising is that more families get to hear someone say, “You don’t have to do this yourself. We can help.”

What is the biggest misconception about your industry?

The biggest misconception I hear is, “The cops clean it up.” I understand why people assume that. The police are already there, so it seems like cleanup would be part of the process.

When I was a crime scene investigator, my job was to document the scene and collect evidence. Once the scene was released, the family could be left standing outside their own front door, wondering what they were supposed to do next.

That’s where my team comes in. I wish more people knew there’s someone they can call before they feel like they have to walk back in and clean it up themselves.

What has been one of your biggest struggles building your business, and how did you deal with it?

I hand someone my business card, and nine times out of ten they say, “I hope I never need your services.” I tell them, “Honestly, I hope you don’t either. Keep the card anyway.”

That’s the hard part of marketing a crime scene cleanup company. Nobody wants to think about needing us. So I keep talking about what we do. If that day ever comes, I want them to know exactly who to call.

Who was your favorite music artist and athlete growing up?

Elvis Presley.

Any shoutouts you want to make?

First, my fiancé and co-founder, Zac Carver. It takes a special kind of person to hear, “I want to start a crime scene cleanup company,” and say, “Okay, what do we need?”

And a shoutout to our crew. I see how much care they put into the work, especially in the little things a family may never see. To the families who trusted us enough to make that first call, thank you. I know how hard it can be to pick up the phone, and I’m grateful you chose us.

Where can our readers learn more about you and your company?

You can learn more about CSI: Clean Scene Investigators at https://cleansceneinvestigators.com. That’s where you’ll find what we do, where we work across Dallas/Fort Worth and North Texas, and how to reach us if you or someone you know needs help.

If you want to get to know me beyond the cleanup work, come find me on YouTube at https://www.youtube.com/@BloodstainsAndBreakthroughs. That’s where I host Bloodstains & Breakthroughs and have honest conversations about what it takes to rebuild after life knocks you sideways.