“I’ve lived a lot of life in a short time.” – Loudon County Sheriff’s Office (LCSO) Det. Sgt. Kayleigh Phegley
When you listen to the story of her life — to date — you take a deep breath, and think “Damn!”
The detective in LCSO’s Criminal Investigations Division (CID) is a wife, a mother of four, and a survivor of a terrible childhood. Her parents were hooked on drugs, in and out of jail multiple times. From the age of 7 to 17, law enforcement from the Fentress County Sheriff’s Office was a big part of her life in Clarkrange, TN.
Kayleigh Phegley
During those 10 years, she says, was when she kept thinking about doing what these deputies did for her. “I really didn’t have much of a family life at all. I have a younger sister, and these guys were so super nice to us as kids growing up and trying to survive. They were positive parts of my life. They fed us, hugged us, and supported us,” Phegley remembers. “They had their stuff together, and I thought they were cool. And I wanted to be one of them.” But life and circumstances forced her to wait. But she never gave up on her goal. Today, she’s living that life.
A quick pause here – the word “family” is the thread that weaves through her life, much like water flowing through rocks.
Today, we share this story of survival by a woman, now 34, who is this week’s “Our Town Hero” and is working to help kids in Loudon County. It’s her passion and her calling.
Here are a few things to know about Phegley’s life:
- By the time she was 19, she had two children. At 25, she had three, and two years ago, a fourth.
- Her husband is a U.S. Air Force Master Sgt. Thomas Phegley. Stationed at McGhee Tyson Air Base, he is a leader in the Air Force’s Drug Demand Reduction Program (DDRF) that focuses on the reduction of drug use within the Air Force.
- She played on the undefeated Clarkrange High School girls basketball team that won the state Single A championship in 2009, capping an undefeated (39-0) season. They were the state runner-up in 2008. Her coach was the legendary Lamar Rogers, who recently retired after 50 years as the Buffaloes’ head coach with a record of 1,364-350.
- After high school, she eventually moved to Cookeville and worked eight years at a car dealership as a Service Department Manager. After that job, she worked as a waitress and in marketing with Reveal Products. The powerful tornadoes on March 3, 2020, killed 18 and destroyed the Reveal warehouse. That job eventually ended. Law enforcement was next.
- In 2020, she graduated from the Cleveland State Community College Law Enforcement Training Academy. She had saved money and paid her own way, without having a law enforcement job. In December 2026 she will graduate with a Bachelor’s degree in Law & Policy from Liberty University.
In 2021 Phegley was hired as a deputy by the White County Sheriff’s Office and worked for a year before moving to the Putnam County Sheriff’s Office for three years. She was a K-9 deputy/handler there. Her husband’s job at McGhee Tyson led her to apply to law enforcement agencies in East Tennessee. She interviewed with a few departments, was hired by the LCSO in March 2024, and was assigned to patrol. In November 2025, she was honored as the LCSO’s Officer of the Month.
“When I interviewed for the job here at Loudon County, I knew pretty quickly I’d love it here,” she explains. “It’s different here. It’s a family thing. When you need something here, everyone wants to help. That’s major.”
During her hours on patrol, she also volunteered for more than 300 hours in the CID division to learn what and how the detectives did their jobs, especially the crimes against children, and to help out on cases. “I love being a detective and working cases involving children. I have dreamed about this for quite a while.”
Two months ago, LCSO Sheriff Jimmy Davis promoted her to sergeant in the detective division, a day she will never forget. “This goes back to my childhood and why I have such passion for child crimes. I want to make a difference for these children. I’ve got about 20 cases now and some are about sexual and physical abuse, neglect, and emotional abuse.”
And she adds, “These kids can’t help being in these situations controlled by the adults. I want to give these children confidence to know they can survive this, that their circumstances now will not determine the outcome and their lives,” she said. “This affects their self-esteem; they’re scared and never know what’s coming their way next.”
How did she survive her childhood? “It’s a mind thing. I made myself think about things, good things. I did everything to find things to get me out of the house and away from my parents. I started clogging in the second grade and clogged on dance teams that traveled the state for a long time. I even clogged at the Grand Ole Opry. Lots of sports. Basketball and track. Being gone was good for me.”
There’s also a family inside her LCSO family. “We have a group that goes out for dinner and plays cards a lot, and that really helps us get to know each other and wind down and become even closer.”
And then there are the four children and a husband at home. “I leave work at work, and I stay really busy at home with everything that comes with a big family,” Phegley says. “We have a lot of family time and really enjoy our life. I focus on them.”
She says part of her personality is being goal-oriented. So, what is her next goal? “I’d like to be a chief one day. Not anytime soon. I have a lot to learn, but I’m passionate and compassionate and very understanding, slow to judge, very observant and tolerant, and a good listener and very observant of people and things.”
Her life is busy, wrapped up in family. Just what she wanted.
Tom King has been the editor of newspapers in Texas and California, and also worked in Tennessee and Georgia. If you have someone you think we should consider featuring, please email Tom at the link with his name or text him at 865-659-3562.
Aubrey’s Restaurants sponsors Our Town Hero.
