The United States Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Iowa announced on Apr. 23 the recipients of its annual Victims Services Awards as part of National Crime Victims’ Rights Week, which runs from April 19 to April 25.
These awards recognize individuals and law enforcement officers who have provided outstanding service to victims of crime. The office advocates for the rights of approximately 1.3 million Iowans in its district, according to the official website.
Sarah Harms, victim-witness coordinator with the Statewide Prosecution Section of the Iowa Attorney General’s Office, received the Victim Services Award. Deputy Erin Bennett from Humboldt County Sheriff’s Office, Special Agent Holly Witt from Iowa Division of Criminal Investigation, and Detective Christopher Wuebker from Winneshiek County Sheriff’s Office were awarded the Law Enforcement Victim Services Award. This award is considered the highest federal honor for victim services presented to law enforcement officers in Iowa.
“These recipients are heroes,” said Leif Olson, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Iowa. “Victims and their families don’t ask to be made part of our criminal-justice system, but the system can’t succeed without their help. Ensuring that they are safe, respected, and understood throughout investigation and trial is crucial to making sure that justice is done. Deputy Wuebker, Deputy Bennett, Special Agent Witt, and Ms. Harms are role models, going above and beyond even the high standards of the local, state, and federal law-enforcement and victim-services teams serving Iowans every day.”
Detective Wuebker was recognized for his work investigating a cold case involving missing teenager Jade Colvin in Winneshiek County in 2017—a case that resulted in a second-degree murder conviction after coordination with multiple agencies across state lines.
Deputy Bennett and Special Agent Witt were honored alongside Harms for their efforts leading to arrests related to alleged sexual abuse against a vulnerable young girl.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office is part of the U.S. Department of Justice according to its official website, has a staff including more than 20 assistant U.S. attorneys as well as three high-intensity drug trafficking area attorneys according to official information, employs about 60 people overall as reported by its website, prosecutes federal crimes while managing civil litigation on behalf of the government according to official data, covers a region spanning over 25,120 square miles across northern Iowa’s 52 counties as noted by its website, maintains offices in Cedar Rapids and Sioux City while assisting victims throughout these areas according to official sources.
