Hancock County Prosecutor Brent Eaton

Hancock County Prosecutor Brent Eaton The Office of the Prosecuting Attorney for Indiana’s 18th Judicial Circuit was created to prosecute the crimes committed against the State of Indiana.

The Office of the Prosecuting Attorney for Indiana’s 18th Judicial Circuit was created to prosecute the crimes committed against the State of Indiana within the states 18th Judicial Circuit, which is comprised of Hancock County. The Prosecuting Attorney, Brent E. Eaton and the Deputy Prosecuting Attorney’s represent the people of the State of Indiana in criminal proceedings initiated by the Prosec

uting Attorney and is also charged with the responsibility of counseling the victims of the crimes committed within its jurisdiction. In addition, the Hancock County Prosecutor’s Office represents its constituents in civil proceedings involving child support. POSTING POLICY
In order to better serve and communicate with the public, the Hancock County Prosecuting Attorney maintains an account through this third-party social media platform. This account is not meant to provide a public forum. While the views and comments of the public are welcome, this site is monitored and comments may be deleted to ensure compliance with the Indiana Rules of Professional Conduct. Submitting personally identifiable information (PII) is not required to interact with or access information from the Hancock County Prosecuting Attorney through this platform. To protect your privacy and the privacy of others, please do not include phone numbers, email addresses, social security numbers, case numbers, or any other sensitive PII in your comments or responses. If you have specific questions regarding a Hancock County Prosecuting Attorney activity or program that involves details you do not wish to share publicly, please contact the office at (317) 477-1139. Defendants charged in a criminal case face a mere accusation of guilt and they are presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty. For this reason and others, prosecuting attorneys are not permitted to discuss certain aspects of their cases. For example, they cannot make statements that “have a substantial likelihood of materially prejudicing an adjudicative proceeding.” They cannot make statements regarding “the character, credibility, reputation or criminal record of a party, suspect in a criminal investigation or witness, or the identity of a witness, or the expected testimony of a party or witness.” Statements that a prosecuting attorney cannot make will be deleted from the website even when made by a member of the public and not the prosecuting attorney or staff. For more information see Indiana Rules of Professional Conduct 3.6 and 3.8(f) which are available here: https://www.in.gov/judiciary/rules/prof_conduct/index.html . The Hancock County Prosecuting Attorney also reserves the discretion to hide, delete or not allow comments that contain:
• Vulgar or abusive language;
• Personal or obscene attacks of any kind;
• Offensive terms targeting individuals or groups;
• Threats or defamatory statements;
• Links to any site;
• Suggestions or encouragement of illegal activity;
• Multiple successive off-topic posts by a single user or repetitive posts copied and pasted by multiple users, or spam;
• Unsolicited proposals or other business ideas or inquiries;
• Promotion or endorsement of commercial services, products, or entities; or • Personally identifiable information that has been inappropriately posted. Activity on a third-party social media platforms is governed by the security and privacy policies of the third-party. Please note: certain information associated with your account may be made available to us based on the privacy policies of the third-party and your privacy settings within that website. Each third-party platform may have unique features or practices. Individuals may wish to review the privacy policies of this platform before using it in order to understand how the information made available on this platform will be used. Individuals may also wish to adjust privacy settings on their accounts. The Hancock County Prosecuting Attorney encourages members of the public to offer comments as they relate to the topics being discussed. The views expressed in the comments reflect only those of the comment’s author, and do not necessarily reflect the official views of the Hancock County Prosecuting Attorney. All comments, to include those removed from this platform, (including username and any identifying information provided) become publicly available, both at the time of posting and later, pursuant to Indiana’s Access to Public Records Act. Under the Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act of 1998, persons under the age of 13 years old are not allowed to submit questions or comments.

08/25/2026

Hancock County Prosecutor’s Office Recognizes Child Support Awareness Month

Hancock County, Indiana (August 25, 2026) — The Hancock County Prosecutor's Office is joining child support agencies across Indiana in recognizing August as Child Support Awareness Month and highlighting the work being done to support children and families throughout Hancock County.

In 2025, the Hancock County Prosecutor's Office Child Support Division helped collect $4,125,788 in child support for local families, an increase of 3.7% over 2024.

Collections have continued to increase in 2026. Through July 31st, the Child Support Division collected $2,533,788, approximately 3.9% more than during the same period in 2025. At the current pace, collections are expected to exceed $4.2 million in 2026.

"Our Child Support Division works every day to make sure children in Hancock County receive the financial support they need and deserve," said Hancock County Prosecutor Brent Eaton. "More than $4.1 million was collected for Hancock County families last year, and we are on pace to exceed that amount again this year. Those numbers are important, but behind every dollar is a child and a family. This work helps parents provide food, housing, healthcare, education and the other everyday things children need."

Child support services are administered statewide through the Indiana Department of Child Services Child Support Bureau and locally through county prosecutors and clerks.

The Indiana child support program serves approximately 200,000 families statewide. In 2025, Indiana county prosecutors, county clerks, and the Child Support Bureau collected and distributed more than $504 million in child support payments.

The Hancock County Prosecutor's Office Child Support Division provides services including:
- Establishing paternity
- Establishing and modifying child support orders
- Establishing and enforcing medical support and health insurance orders
- Locating noncustodial parents
- Enforcing child support obligations
- Assisting with the collection and distribution of child support payments

"Child Support Awareness Month is also an opportunity to recognize the people doing this work," Eaton said. "Our Child Support Division handles a tremendous number of cases, works through difficult circumstances, and continues to produce strong results for Hancock County families. I appreciate the work they do every day."

Families seeking information or assistance with child support may contact the Hancock County Prosecutor's Office Child Support Division directly at (317) 477-1713.

Statewide assistance is also available through the Indiana Child Support Bureau's KIDSLINE at (800) 840-8757 or (317) 233-5437.

08/19/2026

The IT issue from earlier appears to be resolved. Our internet and phones are now back in working order. We appreciate your patience while this got sorted out. Thank you.

08/19/2026

Due to a core switch failure, it is anticipated that HCPO will be without working phones or internet until at least the end of business on 8/19. The Hancock county IT department is working diligently to address this issue. We appreciate the patience of everyone as we work through this unanticipated challenge. Thank you.

08/11/2026

Indiana weather can be a real bummer sometimes! ☔️⛈️The McCordsville Community Night ended up getting cancelled at the last minute, but we still had a great time at Cumberland’s Community Night last week! ❤️Thank you to HCPO employees Marci, Lauryn, Shannon, Missy, and Aimee for volunteering at the event! 👏💙🙌

HCPO Hosts Mock Jury Trial Training for Local Law Enforcement, Approximately 40 officers from agencies across Hancock Co...
08/07/2026

HCPO Hosts Mock Jury Trial Training for Local Law Enforcement, Approximately 40 officers from agencies across Hancock County participated

Hancock County, Indiana (August 7, 2026) — The Hancock County Prosecutor's Office recently conducted two separate "Mock Jury Trial" training sessions for local law enforcement officers to provide practical, hands-on experience with the courtroom and jury trial process.

The first training was held on July 31st at the Hancock County Sheriff's Department, with a second session held on August 3rd at Cumberland Town Hall. Approximately 40 law enforcement officers from agencies throughout Hancock County participated in the two sessions. Officers received ILEA continuing education credit for their attendance.

The training walked officers through the major stages of a criminal jury trial, including jury selection and voir dire, opening statements, direct and cross-examination of witnesses, the introduction and admission of evidence, and closing arguments.

The goal of the training was to give officers a better understanding of what occurs in the courtroom and help them become more knowledgeable and comfortable with the trial process. Law enforcement officers are frequently called upon to testify in criminal cases, and their work during an investigation ultimately must be presented and explained in a courtroom setting.

Providing officers with an opportunity to experience the process in a training environment helps strengthen the partnership between law enforcement and prosecutors and better prepares everyone involved for the presentation of cases in court.

"Our job is to present the facts clearly and effectively in the courtroom, and that starts with making sure our law enforcement partners understand the trial process,” said Hancock County Prosecutor Brent Eaton. “The better prepared officers are to testify, the stronger our cases become and the better we can serve victims and the people of Hancock County. I appreciate every officer who attended and their commitment to continually improving their skills."

The Hancock County Prosecutor's Office thanks the approximately 40 officers who participated, as well as the Hancock County Sheriff's Department and the Town of Cumberland for providing locations for the training.

07/27/2026

STATEMENT REGARDING THE JULY 21, 2026 ROADWAY SHOOTING

On July 21, 2026, between approximately 3:30 and 4:00 p.m., a Volkswagen Jetta occupied by a male driver and a female passenger was traveling from Marion County into Hancock County. A Dodge Journey, driven by an adult male, was traveling behind the Volkswagen along the same route. There is no evidence that the occupants of the Volkswagen knew the driver of the Dodge Journey or had interacted with him before this encounter.

The Hancock County Sheriff’s Department responded to the incident and immediately began an investigation to determine what had occurred.

The investigation included statements from multiple witnesses, video recordings, forensic evidence, physical evidence from the scene and vehicles, and other information developed during the investigation. The factual conclusions described below are based upon the totality of that evidence rather than the account of any single participant or witness.

During the drive, the Dodge began following the Volkswagen at an extremely close distance. Witnesses estimated that the Dodge was less than one foot behind the Volkswagen and may have been as close as six inches.

The vehicles then entered a construction zone in western Hancock County. Because of traffic controls within the construction zone, both vehicles came to a stop. The following events occurred within a matter of seconds.

The driver of the Dodge exited his vehicle, aggressively approached the Volkswagen, and initiated a confrontation with its occupants. During that confrontation, the Dodge driver threatened bodily harm to the Volkswagen driver.

The Dodge driver began walking back toward his own vehicle but then turned and came back toward the Volkswagen. The Volkswagen driver exited his vehicle while armed with a handgun.
As the Dodge driver approached, the Volkswagen driver told him: “I wouldn’t do that. Don’t do that. Go back to your car.”

The Dodge driver continued advancing toward the Volkswagen driver. The Volkswagen driver then fired several shots, striking the Dodge driver in the front and side of his body. There is no evidence that the Volkswagen driver ever left the immediate area of his vehicle or approached the Dodge.

The Dodge driver retreated to his vehicle, where he later died. The Volkswagen driver called 911 and reported that he had shot someone.

An independent eyewitness who did not know either participant was nearby and observed the incident. According to that witness, the Dodge stopped only inches behind the Volkswagen. The Dodge driver then immediately exited his vehicle and pointed his finger into the Volkswagen’s window.

The witness heard the Dodge driver tell the Volkswagen driver: “You shouldn’t be driving on my road that fast, mother******.” along with additional statements.

The witness described the Dodge driver’s demeanor as: “Very hostile, very hostile.”

The witness also heard the Dodge driver say:
“Oh, you gonna get your gun? You afraid? You gonna get your gun? Well, come on, get out.”

The witness observed the two men come face-to-face. When describing the encounter, the witness stated: “If I was put in that predicament, if I was the guy in the Volkswagen, I would have been scared for my life.”

The material portions of this independent eyewitness’s account are corroborated by the observations of other witnesses and by evidence collected during the investigation. The witness’s description of the encounter is not contradicted by any witness statement, video recording, forensic evidence, physical evidence, or other information developed during the investigation.

Indiana Code § 35-41-3-2(c) provides, in relevant part: A person is justified in using reasonable force against any other person to protect the person or a third person from what the person reasonably believes to be the imminent use of unlawful force. However, a person is justified in using deadly force and does not have a duty to retreat if the person reasonably believes that deadly force is necessary to prevent serious bodily injury to the person or a third person or to prevent the commission of a forcible felony. No person, employer, or estate of a person in this state shall be placed in legal jeopardy of any kind whatsoever for protecting the person or a third person by reasonable means necessary.

The evidence in this case establishes that the Dodge driver followed the Volkswagen at an extraordinarily close distance; exited his vehicle and initiated the confrontation; aggressively approached the occupied Volkswagen; threatened bodily harm; challenged the Volkswagen driver to retrieve a firearm and exit the vehicle; briefly turned toward his own vehicle; and then renewed his approach despite repeated verbal warnings to stop and return to his vehicle.

The decision whether to file criminal charges must be based upon the complete body of evidence and the law governing self-defense.

After reviewing the evidence developed during this investigation and applying Indiana Code § 35-41-3-2 to the facts established by that evidence, the State has determined that no criminal charges will be filed against the driver of the Volkswagen arising from this incident.

"Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over" is more than a slogan, it's a warning. Impaired driving puts you, your passengers, and ...
07/24/2026

"Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over" is more than a slogan, it's a warning. Impaired driving puts you, your passengers, and everyone else on the road at risk. Plan a safe ride home, designate a sober driver, or call a cab. Don't take the chance.

Jury Convicts Stephanie Schofield of Dealing Resulting in DeathHancock County, Indiana (July 17, 2026) - A Hancock Count...
07/17/2026

Jury Convicts Stephanie Schofield of Dealing Resulting in Death

Hancock County, Indiana (July 17, 2026) - A Hancock County jury found Stephanie Schofield guilty of Dealing in a Controlled Substance Resulting in Death, a Level 1 felony, following a three-day jury trial. The jury deliberated for approximately 90 minutes before returning its verdict Wednesday evening. The charge arose from a death following the delivery of a controlled substance in October 2023.

Deputy Prosecuting Attorneys Melissa Lewis and David Ostendorf prosecuted the case on behalf of the State of Indiana. The investigation was conducted by the New Palestine Police Department.

“This was the first trial of its kind in our community, and Melissa Lewis and David Ostendorf did an outstanding job presenting a difficult and important case,” Hancock County Prosecutor Brent Eaton said. “We are also grateful for the thorough work of the New Palestine Police Department and for the jury’s careful consideration of the evidence. This verdict holds accountable someone who chose to deliver a deadly drug into our community, and it cost a man his life. Fentanyl continues to devastate families across Indiana, and our office remains committed to working with law enforcement to pursue justice for victims and their families."

Sentencing is scheduled for August 26, 2026.

On this Fourth of July, 250 years since the founding, we're grateful for the men and women who have always answered the ...
07/04/2026

On this Fourth of July, 250 years since the founding, we're grateful for the men and women who have always answered the call to defend what this country stands for. Happy Independence Day.

Fireworks injuries spike every Fourth of July, and most of them are preventable. Before the celebration starts, here's w...
07/01/2026

Fireworks injuries spike every Fourth of July, and most of them are preventable. Before the celebration starts, here's what to keep in mind.

🎆 Leave aerial fireworks to professional displays.
🎆 Keep a bucket of water or hose nearby.
🎆 Never let kids handle fireworks unsupervised.
🎆 Point fireworks away from people, pets, and dry grass.
🎆 Never relight a dud, soak it in water and throw it away.
🎆 Keep a safe distance once a firework is lit.
🎆 Check local laws before lighting anything at home.

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