Rockville, MD — Nearly a decade after two young children vanished without a trace, Maryland prosecutors have again charged their mother, Catherine Hoggle, with their murders — this time after her release from a state psychiatric hospital where she had been committed for 11 years.
Second Indictment Follows Dismissed Charges in 2022
Hoggle, now 38, was re-arrested on Friday and appeared in Montgomery Circuit Court on Tuesday for a bail hearing. She is accused of murdering her 3-year-old daughter Sarah and 2-year-old son Jacob, who were last seen in September 2014.
An earlier murder case against her was dropped in 2022 when a judge determined she was incompetent to stand trial and had failed to regain competency during the five-year legal window allowed under Maryland law.
But following her recent release from the Clifton T. Perkins Hospital Center, prosecutors secured a grand jury indictment, citing what they believe is new evidence of her mental fitness and past confessions.
Alleged Confession in Group Therapy
During the Tuesday hearing, Montgomery County State’s Attorney John McCarthy detailed chilling statements Hoggle allegedly made during a therapy session near the time of the children’s disappearance.
“You think you have stress in your life? I just strangled my two children,” Hoggle reportedly said, according to McCarthy.
He also described a disturbing drawing she allegedly submitted in therapy, depicting children being thrown into a trash can as part of a prompt to eliminate life stressors.
- Hoggle was initially arrested in 2014 on charges of neglect and abduction, not murder.
- She was later indicted for murder in 2017, but found non-restorable due to mental illness.
Defense Disputes Competency, Slams Court Process
Hoggle’s attorney, David Felsen, argued she is still mentally unfit, calling her “non-restorable” and criticizing the state’s use of a bail hearing to preview their trial strategy.
“As she sits, she is non-restorable,” Felsen said.
He called McCarthy’s 45-minute argument “an opening statement for trial, not bail.”
Felsen also noted that a court commissioner previously found insufficient probable cause to issue a warrant, though prosecutors later took the case to a grand jury, which returned the indictment.
Family Criticizes Sudden Hospital Release
Hoggle’s mother, Lindsey Hoggle, said her daughter was abruptly discharged from psychiatric care, describing the transition as going from “shackles and handcuffs to living on her own in a dorm-like facility.”
Judge Jeannie Cho, however, denied bail, citing public safety concerns.
“There is a great deal of information that showed a concerted effort to hide herself and conceal the evidence and to be deceptive,” Judge Cho stated.
She also noted that Hoggle is currently prescribed 22 different medications, making it unclear if her treatment could be safely maintained outside of a supervised facility.
Children’s Father Seeks Justice
Watching from the gallery was Troy Turner, the children’s father, wearing a shirt demanding justice for Sarah and Jacob. After the hearing, he told reporters he’s still waiting for answers and hopes this prosecution will finally bring truth and closure.
“I just want to know what happened to my children,” Turner said.
What are your thoughts on this case and the system’s handling of it? Let us know in the comments.
