Mother of Missing Children Declared Incompetent to Stand Trial

A psychiatric evaluation made by Clifton T. Perkins Hospital Center has found Catherine Hoggle, the Clarksburg mother charged with the disappearance of her two young children, not competent to stand trial.

Hoggle’s attorney, David Felson, filed a court motion on Tuesday following the submission of the evaluation, according to Montgomery Community Media.

Felson says in the court motion that Hoggle’s mental state has deteriorated since Oct. 1 when she was visited at the hospital by Montgomery County Police, according to the news outlet. The relapse has even resulted in required “emergency medication” to treat her. Felson also said Hoggle has stopped eating.

The filed motion alleges police interrogated Hoggle on multiple occasions before a competency report was completed and requests a court order for all subpoenaed information from the Montgomery County Police, two detectives to appear for deposition and charges against Hoggle to be dropped.

Capt. Darren Francke with Montgomery County Police Department said last week that police will abide by a judge’s order not to talk to Catherine. But, he said she was the one to reach out to police through her family members with an offer to take investigators to a house in the Darnestown/Clarksburg area where she claims the children are.

Hoggle faces three misdemeanor charges — detaining a child, neglect of a minor and obstructing and hindering.

It’s been over two months since Jacob hoggle, 2, and Sarah Hoggle, 4, have been declared missing in Montgomery County. Sarah turned 4 on Nov. 20, a day that her father and grandmother had said would be particularly hard to bear.

Police have said they are shifting the Hoggle case to a homicide investigation, but the father of the two missing children, Troy Turner, believe the kids are still alive.

In court on Nov. 6, it was revealed Hoggle, 27, reportedly told her mother and Turner she could take police to the children, but Judge Eugene Wolfe refused to sign an emergency order for her to leave the psychiatric hospital.

“At this point we are realize we can’t depend on the fact that she is going to take us [to them],” Lindsey Hoggle, Catherine Hoggle’s mother, told Montgomery Community Media.

Troy Turner, the father of the two missing toddlers, has announced a partnership with the Victim’s Rights Foundation to create a reward fund for the missing children. Donations can be made online.

Volunteer searchers can meet at the Germantown Community Center, 18905 Kingsview Road in Germantown on Saturdays from 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., and on Sundays from 10 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., say organizers.

Jacob was last seen wearing a white T-shirt and blue shorts. Sarah was last seen wearing a pink tank top and blue shorts. Jacob is 3 feet tall and weighs 25 pounds. Sarah is 3 feet 6 inches tall and weighs 40 pounds.

Timeline of Events

On Sept. 7, Catherine Hoggle borrowed her father’s gray 2012 Nissan Rogue SUV and said she was picking up pizza for Jacob. She returned three hours later without the boy or pizza and told her parents she had left Jacob at a playmate’s house.

On Sept. 8, Hoggle left home with Sarah and told Turner she was taking the child to a day-care center. That afternoon when Turner asked about the children’s whereabouts, Hoggle would not tell him where the children were. Both Hoggle and Turner set off for the police station, but stopped at a Chick-Fil-A near the Germantown Transit Center where Hoggle left the restaurant without Turner noticing and disappeared. On Sept. 12, Hoggle was found and arrested in Germantown.

On Nov. 6, it was revealed in court Hoggle allegedly told her mother she could take the police to where the children are. Hoggle’s lawyer said she did not want to go, and Judge Eugene Wolfe refused to sign an emergency order for her to leave Clifton T. Perkins Hospital Center.

On Nov. 17, a psychiatric evaluation of Catherine Hoggle was submitted by Clifton T. Perkins Hospital Center, finding her not competent to stand trial.

A Go Fund Me account was previously established to create a reward in the case and had $2,892 in the account Friday.

Montgomery County Police ask anyone with information about the Hoggle children to call 240-773-5070.

Related Stories

• New Reward Offered for Missing Toddlers; Searchers Needed
• Volunteer Search Groups Needed to Find Missing Toddlers
• Search for Missing Toddlers Passes Two-Month Mark; Family Begs for Answers
• Judge Won’t Allow Mom of Missing Toddlers to Go with Police
• Attorney for Mom of Missing Toddlers Wants Charges Dropped

>> Catherine Hoggle faces three charges related to the disappearance of her two young children. Jacob Hoggle, 2, and Sarah Hoggle, 4, have been missing for over two months.

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