By LYNETTE SOWELL
Cove Leader-Press
The week of April 6-12 is National Crime Victims week, and Coryell County officials are hoping to highlight the ways that crime victims can receive support locally.
“Crime Victims Week is an opportunity to bring awareness about the impact crime has on our communities and our victims. In participating in this week-long initiative, it’s our hope that we can pause to recognize that supporting survivors and victims of crime is the centerpiece of our criminal justice processes here in Coryell County,” said Coryell County District Attorney Dusty Boyd.
“We believe that in supporting those impacted by crime we project the values that are inherent here in our county: service, compassion, and support. On a daily basis, we recognize that survivors and victims of crime are coping with trauma and our role is to provide a platform to assist them in navigating a very difficult time in their lives, in addition to educating and supporting them through the criminal justice process.
“This annual observance challenges all of us to build better communities through relationships with the survivors, victims and advocates. All these efforts hold the potential to help people cope and heal in order to move forward with their lives. We want to thank all those in our communities that engage in these efforts and acknowledge that our survivors and victims are important and that our communities here in Coryell County support them.”
One of the individuals in Boyd’s office is Gretchen McWhorter, and she works with victims of felony cases. She said that for many people, the word “victim” is a word that has a negative stigma around it.
“I don’t like that. I don’t appreciate that concept, because you have to be a victim in order to be a survivor, but the victim isn’t weak,” McWhorter said. “Victim is not a bad word in this case, and that’s why it’s called victim services. It’s okay to have someone in your corner while you’re going through something very scary.
“With victim, sometimes people think of just the person that the trauma happened to, but it’s a ripple effect you have. You have your first trauma victim, the primary trauma, then you have the secondary trauma.”
She also talked about the importance of victim impact statements, on how the crime has impacted their lives, such as if an individual was robbed at gunpoint in the grocery store parking lot. Because of that incident and trauma, they now get their groceries delivered at home.
“It’s impacted your way of life, you’re no longer the way you used to be, and that’s an impact that that trauma has done to you. Well, then that means your kids aren’t going to go with you to the store. So it’s affected them.”
The crime victims’ coordinators help victims gain access to mental health services, which is just one of the ways they help.
The family of Manuel Moreno of Copperas Cove has been in contact with McWhorter from the very day that Moreno died on September 19, 2024 as the result of a North F.M. head-on collision with a vehicle driven by Cody Ray Vaughan, who is in the county jail for intoxication manslaughter.
Joe Moreno shared about what having the support from the DA’s office has meant to him and his family, such as when Vaughan had a recent hearing for a bond reduction.
“Gretchen got with us and told us what was going on. We helped her with the information we had. She helped us with the information they had, the jail calls and everything,” Moreno said. “(Dusty Boyd) knocked it out of the park. Instead of getting that $20,000 bond reduction, (Vaughan) ended up getting $100,000 raised bond, and now it’s at $300,000 and he had the $8,000 bond revoked out of Bell County. So that was big, a big win for us.”
Many of these cases, such as murder cases and the intoxication manslaughter cases, can take years to be resolved.
Another County office which supports crime victims is the County Attorney’s Office, the office of Brandon Belt.
Colette Krumnow works in the Coryell County Attorney’s Office, and she is the crime victims’ coordinator for misdemeanor cases, such as Harassment, Deadly Conduct, Terroristic Threat, Unlawful Restraint, Indecent Exposure, adult physical assault, domestic violence, interference with emergency request for assistance, property cases with restitution, and violation of protective order.
Colette helps victims of personal crimes navigate the criminal justice process, ensures that their rights are protected and can provide information and assistance with application for protective orders, resource referrals, victim impact statements, crime victims’ compensation, restitution, notification of court proceedings, and other services as needed.
“I find the work I do to be very rewarding,” said Krumnow. “I’m in my 9th year as the Crime Victims’ Coordinator for Coryell County Attorney Brandon Belt. I work closely and effectively with Brandon and with Assistant County Attorney Lisa Kubala.
“I discuss each individual’s situation to determine the best way I can assist them, all in accordance with Texas State Law and within the guidelines set forth by the Texas Attorney General’s Office.
“From the first contact following an offense I strive to make every victim feel validated, assess their immediate needs, and assist with the prosecution of their case.
“I advocate for each victim with integrity and respect and do all I can to affect a positive outcome for them and their family.”
Krumnow has been employed with Coryell County for 19 years, previously for the District Clerk’s Office and the Juvenile Probation Department.
To reach Collette Krumnow call, 254-248-3180 or 254-248-3184; colette.krumnow@coryellcountytx.gov.
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