“I’m endlessly grateful to the Meskwaki Settlement and to Rita Papakee’s family for trusting me to share her story,” said Local 5 anchor/reporter Laryssa Leone.
WEST DES MOINES, Iowa — Local 5 took home a regional Edward R. Murrow Award in Region 5 for “Excellence in Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion” last week.
The award-winning story, “Missing in Meskwaki,” follows the unsolved disappearance of Rita Papakee, who has been missing for more than a decade.
Local 5 anchor and reporter Laryssa Leone and Chief Photojournalist Don Schmith traveled to the Meskwaki Settlement in early 2024, where they received rare access and the opportunity to talk to Papakee’s family.
“I’m endlessly grateful to the Meskwaki Settlement and to Rita Papakee’s family for trusting me to share her story,” Leone said.
The special not only brought awareness to Papakee’s case, but highlighted the phenomenon of Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women across North America.
Watch the special above or click here to read the full story.
Congratulations to @ksdknews and @weareiowa5news for receiving a combined four @RTDNA Edward R. Murrow Awards in Region 5. #MurrowMay #Murrows pic.twitter.com/6M8SD5xZbV
— TEGNA (@TEGNA) May 16, 2025
