Possible Mother Killed Children: Father of Missing Hoggle Siblings

Child neglect and parental abduction charges will stand against Catherine Hoggle, the mentally ill mother accused of taking her two children from home in September 2014 and concealing their whereabouts -- and their father worries the youngsters were killed.

A Rockville judge on Monday denied a motion by Hoggle’s attorney to throw out the charges against her. Catherine’s family says she is paranoid and was making plans to leave the area to avoid being hospitalized, so she gave the young children to someone for safekeeping.

Her daughter Sarah, who turned 5 on Friday, and son Jacob, 3, disappeared 14 months ago. Authorities say Jacob was last seen with his mother on Sept. 7, 2014, in Darnestown or Clarksburg; Sarah was last seen with Hoggle on the morning of Sept. 8, 2014.

WTOP reports Hoggle – who has been deemed incompetent to stand trial in the case of the missing children -- will continue treatment at the Clifton T. Perkins Hospital Center in Jessup, Maryland. A new competency hearing for Hoggle, 29, will be held at 9 a.m. Feb. 22 in Montgomery County District Court.

The children’s father and Hoggle’s common-law husband, Troy Turner, told reporters Monday that he’s frustrated by the court hearings, which don’t seem to put the whereabouts of his children first.

“There’s a distinct possibility that she killed my children, she denied that again,” he said Monday in an interview recorded by Montgomery Community Media.

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Catherine’s mother, Lindsey Hoggle, told reporters Monday that her daughter’s progress toward competency has sharply declined since a September hearing. Catherine is afraid to go to jail, said Lindsey Hoggle, who believes Catherine feels safe at the state hospital.

Her attorney, David Felsen, said that Catherine Hoggle is confused, and appears unable to understand the charges against her. Because she is working with doctors, and taking medication, the charges against her should be dropped rather than prolonging the case and her confinement, he said.

Father Frustrated By Stalemate

Turner said he called Catherine on Friday, Sarah’s fifth birthday, in hopes that she might tell him what happened to the children. He says that she told him she’s being advised to act incompetent so she won’t go to jail.

“My two kids are missing, they’re gone, they’re not here. I don’t understand how that all of that gets left out of this and what becomes important is her mental status.

“I really don’t care about her mental status at this point, I want my children home. As far as charges go I don’t care about that, I want my children home,” Turner said.

While Turner says the state’s attorney would drop charges if the children are returned safely, Catherine’s attorney is telling her that’s not true, he said, and that other criminal charges are threatened.

When Catherine asked Turner about their older son, he said he won’t give her any information about the boy until Sarah and Jacob are home.

Hoggle, a schizophrenic, refuses to tell Turner, her mother, or Montgomery County Police where the children are. She says the children are safe.

Her mother says Catherine wanted to escape from a possible involuntary commitment to such a facility, so she took the children as part of that plan to leave. Medical professionals say she could improve to a point where she could stand trial.

Turner previously said, “The worst days of my life would be Nov. 20 and July 3, where it’s their birthdays, and they’re not there.”

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Family Asks for Tips

Turner’s older son continues to be positive about his sibling’s return home, as are other family members, who remain steadfast in their belief that the children are alive, while police are not optimistic about the youngsters’ fate.

The children’s grandmother, Lindsey Hoggle, posted Thursday on the FindSarahFindJacob Facebook page, “Sweet baby Sarah - will be 5 years old tomorrow. We appeal to anyone who has seen anything to share tips.”

Family members ask anyone in the Clarksburg area who may have seen Sarah and Jacob to message the Facebook page, call or text (301) 549-9044 or submit a tip on the website www.findsarahfindjacob.com. Tips can be made anonymously.

Catherine Hoggle’s attorney told WTOP she suffers from a mental illness so severe that she may not remember what happened to her children.

While he believes his children are alive, Turner wants to know if they are dead. At this point, the youngsters have likely been passed around to multiple locations, their father says, and even their mother would be unable to tell authorities where the children are.

On Facebook, Lindsey Hoggle has thanked people for sharing information about the search for the youngsters, and asked that readers continue to spread the word.

More Court Appearances

Prosecutors said in May they might pursue additional charges against Hoggle. Montgomery County Police believe the children are dead, while the extended Hoggle family disagrees.

In a Facebook post early in June, the Hoggle family said: “Sarah (age 4) and Jacob (age 2 1/2) have been missing 9 months today. Their mother continues to state that they are with someone. There is no evidence or proof to believe otherwise - so we will continue to consider them MISSING. Please keep in mind they may look differently and be anywhere in or outside of Maryland. Thank you for continued diligence! We will find them.”

»Photo of Sarah and Jacob Hoggle, courtesy of the FindSarahFindJacob Facebook page