A Maryland mother at the center of a chilling missing persons case is once again behind bars—just days after being released from a psychiatric facility where she had been held for three years.
Catherine Hoggle, 38, has been indicted on two counts of murder in connection with the disappearance of her children, 3-year-old Sarah Hoggle and 2-year-old Jacob Hoggle, who vanished nearly a decade ago and are presumed dead. The Montgomery County State Attorney’s Office announced the indictment on Thursday, marking a dramatic turn in a case that has haunted the community since 2014.
Sarah and Jacob were last seen with their mother on September 7, 2014. Their bodies have never been found, but investigators say all signs point to a grim conclusion.
Hoggle was originally charged with child neglect and obstruction, and later with murder. However, she was repeatedly ruled mentally incompetent to stand trial—nearly 30 times over five years. In 2022, a judge dismissed the charges, citing a Maryland law that requires a defendant to be deemed competent within five years or the charges must be dropped. At the time, Hoggle was committed indefinitely to a maximum-security psychiatric hospital.
“This is not a double jeopardy situation,” prosecutors said at the time. “If she’s ever released, the state reserves the right to re-charge her.”
And now they have.
Hoggle was released from the facility late last month, prompting prosecutors to quickly convene a grand jury, which returned a murder indictment. She was taken into custody by Montgomery County police on Friday.
Her attorney, David Felsen, criticized the move, telling NBC’s WRC, “Legally, nothing has changed since 2022. I do not believe her detention is proper or appropriate.”
Meanwhile, the children’s father, Troy Turner, released a statement with his family saying, “We are following the latest developments closely and continue to work with authorities to seek justice for Sarah and Jacob. We ask that you please respect our privacy as we continue to rebuild our lives while continuing to search for our babies.”
Despite the arrest, the case remains open. Anyone with information about Sarah or Jacob Hoggle is urged to contact Crime Solvers of Montgomery County via their website or by calling 1-866-411-8477.
About time they put her out of her misery.
Won’t ever happen, but whoever the goof was who released this murderer should be arrested as well.