Staff

Noah Schafer is in his twentieth year of prosecution. After graduating from Purdue University with degrees in business and English literature in 1998 and IU School of Law in 2001, Schafer turned down several opportunities with private firms to pursue his desire to prosecute. Starting in the Marion County Prosecutor’s Office, Schafer worked first in domestic violence courts, handling cases of spousal and child abuse. From there, he was promoted first to felony drug cases, then general major felony work, and finally was named to be part of the first MCPO Homicide Division created in 2005. Schafer has personally tried more than two dozen murder cases to juries and has extensive jury trial experience in other crimes ranging from marijuana possession and carjacking to child molesting, robbery, burglary, and felony murder. For ten years as a Chief Deputy Prosecutor and now as an elected prosecutor, he views prosecution as a calling and strives to bring his experience and passion for the job into the office and the courtroom. He lives in Logansport with his wife and four children.

Tom Lupke graduated from the Indiana University—Indianapolis Robert H. McKinney School of Law in 2002 and began his career in prosecution with the domestic violence unit in Marion County. In 2005 he was promoted to the major felony narcotics/gangs/firearms unit where he filled a variety of positions, including prosecutor liaison to numerous law enforcement units as well as director of the Metro Drug Task Force. Lupke later served as the designated wiretap prosecutor for Marion County, as well as an assistant supervisor over both felony screening and firearms attorneys. He was eventually appointed to serve as a Special Assistant United States Attorney for the Southern District of Indiana, with a caseload focused on felons with firearms. Lupke has served as an instructor for both prosecutors and law enforcement officers and as an adjunct instructor for Indiana Tech in Indianapolis in its criminal justice program. Before being appointed Chief Deputy Prosecutor, Tom Lupke has most recently served the Cass County Prosecutor’s Office as a major felony prosecutor with a focus on the areas of domestic violence and drug trafficking. He has also been program director for the office’s grant programs related to stopping domestic violence, including the office’s support of the Cass County Domestic Violence Task and the Act Out programs in local schools. Lupke and his family reside in Logansport.

Lisa Kempf joined the Cass County Prosecutor’s Office as an experienced litigator, having previously served as a prosecutor in Morgan and Lawrence counties. She graduated from Southern Illinois University School of Law in 2018. Ms. Kempf began her career prosecuting all levels of crimes from misdemeanors to level one felonies and has experience litigating murder, attempted murder, aggravated battery, intimidation with a deadly weapon, unlawful possession of a firearm by a serious violent felon, rape, child molestation, theft, and possession of methamphetamine and has been an advocate for victims of domestic violence and sex crimes in the state of Indiana. Lisa Kempf has three children, two daughters in college and a son in middle school. She is an avid animal lover and has two dogs.  Kempf will be prosecuting major felony drug and domestic cases.

James D. Hildebrand is the Juvenile and Title IV-D Deputy Prosecuting Attorney (DPA). After serving as a Corrections Officer at Pendleton Correctional Facility and a certified legal intern with the Cass County Prosecutor’s Office, he was sworn into the Indiana Bar in October of 2017. He briefly worked at the McCoy Law Office in Lafayette before becoming a DPA for Cass County in March of 2018. He was born and homeschooled in Cass County, has a B.A. in Government from Patrick Henry College, and has a Juris Doctorate from Liberty University School of Law. As the juvenile and child support DPA, his dual roles include handling juvenile delinquency cases and enforcing child support obligations in cases enrolled in the Title IV-D program.

Deputy Prosecutor Joseph D. Thieke was born and raised in Cass County Indiana. Joseph graduated from Lewis Cass High School in 2003, after which he studied at Indiana University Kokomo, where he obtained his Bachelor’s Degree in Criminal Justice in 2008. Shortly after graduating college, Joseph went on to study Criminal Law at McKinney School of Law in Indianapolis, Indiana. Joseph graduated from McKinney Law School in 2012 and began criminal prosecution at the Cass County Prosecutor’s Office in January 2013.

Jake Vent was born and raised in Kokomo, IN, and graduated from Northwestern High School in 2015. He later went on to graduate from Case Western Reserve University in Cleveland, OH, receiving a BA in Economics and Political Science in 2019. After graduating college, Jake attended Indiana University Maurer School of Law in Bloomington, IN, receiving his law degree in 2022. Jake worked in numerous internships during law school to expand his jury trial experience and knowledge of prosecution, all tailored around furthering his goal of being a career prosecutor. Among his various experiences, Jake interned for the Honorable Stephen R. Kitts, II in the Cass County Circuit Court, the Cass County Prosecutor’s Office, the United States Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Indiana in Indianapolis, the Morgan County Prosecutor’s Office in Martinsville, and the Vigo County Prosecutor’s Office in Terre Haute. He has helped develop a wide variety of cases in prosecution, including in the areas of drugs and guns, child exploitation and child pornography, and domestic violence. Public service as a prosecutor is a personal calling for Jake, as he enjoys working with victims, law enforcement, and members of the community to ensure people are kept safe.

John M. Starbuck joined the Cass Prosecutor’s office as the Juvenile/Title IV-D Deputy Prosecuting Attorney. Starbuck earned a B.A. from IUPUI in Anthropology in 2005, an M.A. from Penn State in Anthropology in 2009, a Ph.D. from Penn State in Biological Anthropology in 2012, and a J.D. from the Indiana University Robert H. McKinney School of Law in 2022. Before attending law school, Starbuck was a Post-Doctoral Researcher for two years at the Indiana University School of Dentistry in the Department of Orthodontics and Oral Facial Genetics, a Visiting Lecturer for one year at Indiana University Northwest in the Department of Sociology and Anthropology, and an Assistant Professor for four years at the University of Central Florida in the Department of Anthropology. During law school, Starbuck completed internships at Indiana Legal Services, Inc. – Medical-Legal Partnership, the Hamilton County Prosecutor’s Office, and the Office of the Attorney General – Licensing Enforcement. As a Deputy Prosecuting Attorney, Starbuck will focus on juvenile delinquency and child support cases.
Said Schafer of the new additions: “We’re very excited to be adding Lisa, Jake and John to our team.  Each of them brings something unique to the office, but they all share the same enthusiasm and professionalism that we value.”