ROCKVILLE, Md. — Catherine Hoggle, the mother of Sarah and Jacob Hoggle, was found competent to stand trial for their murder, a judge ruled today, according to our ABC-affiliate in Washington, D.C., WJLA.
This comes after a competency hearing that lasted two days.
"I don't agree with his decision, but I certainly respect it," says David Felsen, Catherine Hoggle's attorney, following the announcement.
Hoggle is charged with Sarah and Jacob's murder. She was most recently charged in July, after having been discharged from Clifton Perkins Psychiatric Hospital.
She had previously been charged, but had been found incompetent for long enough that the state was required to drop the charges.
The children haven't been seen since September 2014, but no bodies have ever been found.
"This is a case that has taken us 11 years to get us to where we are today," says Montgomery County State's Attorney John McCarthy.
"She has tried to get better," says Felsen of Catherine's mental health.
We spoke to their father, Troy Turner, in October 2024 about the decade-long search for the kids.
"This has been a tough journey," says McCarthy. "We have always longed for the opportunity to go to trial in this matter."
"It's obviously bittersweet," says Turner. "We've been trying to do this for a very long time... but at the same time we're about to go through a murder trial for my two babies, and that's what I don't want anyone ever to lose sight of."
"In the end, my babies deserve justice," Turner added. "They deserve more than anything to come home and be loved on."
The next court date is December 23, for a status hearing.
