Father of Missing Hoggle Children Seeks to Become Guardian of Troubled Mother

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The father of two Montgomery County siblings missing for seven months has taken court action to become the legal guardian of their mentally ill mother, also his long-time domestic partner, who was the last person to see the children.

More than 100 searchers from Maryland and Virginia police agencies, along with dog teams and officers using sonar searched hundreds of acres Sunday in what turned out to be a fruitless attempt to locate missing siblings Jacob, 2, and Sarah Hoggle, 4, who were last seen Sept. 7.

Catherine Hoggle, their schizophrenic mother, won’t disclose the whereabouts of her two young children and remains in the Clifton T. Perkins Hospital Center. Hoggle says the children are safe, but has not given any information on their whereabouts.

There are two theories on the fate of the children. Troy Turner, Hoggle’s common-law husband, and Lindsey Hoggle, their grandmother, believe the mentally ill mother gave the youngsters to someone to care for them. Montgomery County Police say they believe the children are dead, although no bodies have been found.

In a March interview, Turner said Catherine knows that she was wrong to take the children, and he expects no help from her in finding Sarah and Jacob.

“Under Maryland law, when an adult has been hospitalized (in certain circumstances) or suffers from an illness (in this case a mental illness) which precludes her from making appropriate decisions regarding the management of her financial affairs and care of her person, the court will appoint a guardian to assist in managing those parts of a person’s life,” according to an email from Corey Garver, spokesperson for the law firm representing Turner, to Montgomery Community Media.

According to court records, Lindsey Hoggle has agreed to the appointment of Turner as her daughter’s guardian.

“I believe that this appointment is necessary to safeguard my daughter’s personal property interests, to ensure that her health is properly cared for and because it is in her best interest,” she wrote in the April 8 filing.

Turner alleges in court documents that hospital officials have refused to provide information to him about Hoggle’s condition and treatment. He also says staff at the facility has refused to permit him or other family members to visit Hoggle.

David Felsen -- Hoggle’s attorney in the criminal case against her for child neglect, abduction and hindering a police investigation -- questioned Turner’s move.

In court papers Felsen wrote, “The petitioner’s filings are a thinly veiled attempt to do an “end run” around the determinations of the District Court, to inject himself (and others) into the treatment and care of Ms. Hoggle and to obtain information to which Petitioner is not entitled and that could be at odds with Ms. Hoggle’s interests.”

Police last weekend focused their efforts on areas in Darnestown, Boyds, and Clarksburg. For several hours, 102 searchers, including 13 K9 teams, three boats, seven horses, five all-terrain vehicles, and ground teams covered 600 acres, seven miles of roadside searching and railroad tracks, and completed a side sonar scan around Little Seneca Lake. Several areas from the original search area were rechecked.

Residents in the Darnestown, Boyds, and Clarskburg areas are asked to again search their property for any sign of Jacob and Sarah.

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