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| Montgomery County police build homicide case against mother of missing children | Montgomery County police build homicide case against mother of missing children |
| (about 4 hours later) | |
| Montgomery County investigators said Monday that they fear that two toddlers missing for more than a week are dead and that they are building a homicide case against the children’s mother. | |
| Although they had not found the children’s bodies or a crime scene by evening, police said a lengthy weekend interview with the toddlers’ mentally ill mother, Catherine Hoggle, had given them little hope that the children were safe. Jacob Hoggle, 2, and Sarah Hoggle, 3, were last seen with their mother more than a week ago. Catherine Hoggle, who has been diagnosed with paranoid schizophrenia, then disappeared before being picked up by police late Friday. | Although they had not found the children’s bodies or a crime scene by evening, police said a lengthy weekend interview with the toddlers’ mentally ill mother, Catherine Hoggle, had given them little hope that the children were safe. Jacob Hoggle, 2, and Sarah Hoggle, 3, were last seen with their mother more than a week ago. Catherine Hoggle, who has been diagnosed with paranoid schizophrenia, then disappeared before being picked up by police late Friday. |
| Police urged residents in the Clarksburg and Darnestown areas to search their properties for signs of the children, including inside sheds with broken locks or along wood lines. | |
| “If you find what we unfortunately believe you will find, we would ask that you back away immediately, do not touch anything, do not go near the site and call 911,” said Capt. Darren Francke, commander of the county police department’s major-crimes unit. | |
| He said that detectives think Catherine Hoggle had a plan for what she wanted to do with the children, and that police expect the toddlers to be found together. | He said that detectives think Catherine Hoggle had a plan for what she wanted to do with the children, and that police expect the toddlers to be found together. |
| The children’s family members tried to think about Sarah and Jacob in the way they’d seen them before last week — smiling and happy. | The children’s family members tried to think about Sarah and Jacob in the way they’d seen them before last week — smiling and happy. |
| “We still believe, under all the tears even, that they’re still alive,” the children’s paternal grandmother, Debbie Beckward, said. | “We still believe, under all the tears even, that they’re still alive,” the children’s paternal grandmother, Debbie Beckward, said. |
| She choked up talking about how the children played together, how Sarah would pretend to be a mother with a small blanket. “Here, Mommy will cover you up,” Sarah would tell her brother. | She choked up talking about how the children played together, how Sarah would pretend to be a mother with a small blanket. “Here, Mommy will cover you up,” Sarah would tell her brother. |
| Sometimes Sarah would get out a pad of paper and a pen and pretend Jacob had come in for a medical checkup. “I’m going to diagnose you,” she’d said. | Sometimes Sarah would get out a pad of paper and a pen and pretend Jacob had come in for a medical checkup. “I’m going to diagnose you,” she’d said. |
| Catherine Hoggle’s father, Randy Hoggle, has said that his daughter has been a caring mother in the past. “We still believe the kids are alive,” Randy Hoggle said. “Just knowing her, we believe that’s true.” | Catherine Hoggle’s father, Randy Hoggle, has said that his daughter has been a caring mother in the past. “We still believe the kids are alive,” Randy Hoggle said. “Just knowing her, we believe that’s true.” |
| Catherine Hoggle has long struggled with mental health issues. She was committed to a psychiatric hospital late last year, according to family members. In recent months, relatives had tried to ensure that she wasn’t alone with the children while not trying to make her feel as if they were watching her every move. | Catherine Hoggle has long struggled with mental health issues. She was committed to a psychiatric hospital late last year, according to family members. In recent months, relatives had tried to ensure that she wasn’t alone with the children while not trying to make her feel as if they were watching her every move. |
| “It was an attempt at a balancing act,” said Troy Turner, Catherine Hoggle’s longtime boyfriend and father of the children. | “It was an attempt at a balancing act,” said Troy Turner, Catherine Hoggle’s longtime boyfriend and father of the children. |
| Hoggle made her first court appearance Monday afternoon via a video feed from the Montgomery County Correctional Facility. She said little beyond giving her name. | Hoggle made her first court appearance Monday afternoon via a video feed from the Montgomery County Correctional Facility. She said little beyond giving her name. |
| Her attorney, David Felsen, asked that a scheduled bond review be delayed so Hoggle could undergo a mental evaluation. District Judge Margaret Schweitzer granted the request. | Her attorney, David Felsen, asked that a scheduled bond review be delayed so Hoggle could undergo a mental evaluation. District Judge Margaret Schweitzer granted the request. |
| Although Hoggle told detectives she had been taking her medication, police said, it is unclear whether that is true. | Although Hoggle told detectives she had been taking her medication, police said, it is unclear whether that is true. |
| While at the county jail, where Hoggle has been since Saturday night, medical personnel do not let inmates take prescription drugs that they arrive with, said Arthur Wallenstein, director of the Montgomery County Department of Correction and Rehabilitation. The reason: Authorities cannot be sure what the substances are. | |
| The jail has a 16-bed medical unit, with 24-hour nursing services and daily visits from psychiatrists and physicians. These medical personnel, in consultation with an inmate’s outside doctor, can recommend that prisoners take psychiatric medication, Wallenstein said, and provide the appropriate drugs. | The jail has a 16-bed medical unit, with 24-hour nursing services and daily visits from psychiatrists and physicians. These medical personnel, in consultation with an inmate’s outside doctor, can recommend that prisoners take psychiatric medication, Wallenstein said, and provide the appropriate drugs. |
| That is certainly the hope of family members and police, because it might prompt Hoggle to say what happened to her children. “She has an altered view of reality. She’s off her meds,” Turner said. | That is certainly the hope of family members and police, because it might prompt Hoggle to say what happened to her children. “She has an altered view of reality. She’s off her meds,” Turner said. |
| But if a prisoner refuses to take medication, jail officials cannot force them to do so, Wallenstein said. | But if a prisoner refuses to take medication, jail officials cannot force them to do so, Wallenstein said. |
| As the case progresses, Hoggle could be sent to the Clifton T. Perkins Hospital, a secure psychiatric hospital. If doctors there determine that an emergency exists, which puts the patient or others at risk, they can force-medicate a patient during the emergency, said Brian Hepburn, director of Maryland’s Behavioral Health Administration, which is part of the state’s Department of Health and Mental Hygiene. | As the case progresses, Hoggle could be sent to the Clifton T. Perkins Hospital, a secure psychiatric hospital. If doctors there determine that an emergency exists, which puts the patient or others at risk, they can force-medicate a patient during the emergency, said Brian Hepburn, director of Maryland’s Behavioral Health Administration, which is part of the state’s Department of Health and Mental Hygiene. |
| In an affidavit filed in court, detectives alleged that there had been “no confirmed contact” with Jacob since 4 p.m., Sept. 7, and “no confirmed contact” with Sarah since 9:30 p.m. that same day. At the time, according to police, family members didn’t know they were missing, because Hoggle had told them that Jacob was at a friend’s house and then said that she’d taken both kids to day care for a trial program. | In an affidavit filed in court, detectives alleged that there had been “no confirmed contact” with Jacob since 4 p.m., Sept. 7, and “no confirmed contact” with Sarah since 9:30 p.m. that same day. At the time, according to police, family members didn’t know they were missing, because Hoggle had told them that Jacob was at a friend’s house and then said that she’d taken both kids to day care for a trial program. |
| The next day, Turner became suspicious when Catherine Hoggle couldn’t tell him what day care she’d gone to. After the two drove around looking for the facility, he headed for a police station. Hoggle asked if they could stop at a fast-food restaurant so she could get something to drink, police said. She slipped out the back door and disappeared for five days. | The next day, Turner became suspicious when Catherine Hoggle couldn’t tell him what day care she’d gone to. After the two drove around looking for the facility, he headed for a police station. Hoggle asked if they could stop at a fast-food restaurant so she could get something to drink, police said. She slipped out the back door and disappeared for five days. |
| Just before midnight on Friday, a tip to 911 led police to Hoggle, walking down a street in Germantown in the same clothes she’d been wearing when she disappeared. She had two missing-persons fliers, which included photographs of Hoggle and the children. As she was taken into custody, police said, she tried to flee. | Just before midnight on Friday, a tip to 911 led police to Hoggle, walking down a street in Germantown in the same clothes she’d been wearing when she disappeared. She had two missing-persons fliers, which included photographs of Hoggle and the children. As she was taken into custody, police said, she tried to flee. |
| Hoggle was taken to police headquarters and questioned off-and-on all night and into Saturday afternoon. The goal was to get her to tell authorities where the children were. Different detectives tried — as did a psychiatrist who had treated Hoggle, Hoggle’s father, and Hoggle’s boyfriend, Turner. | Hoggle was taken to police headquarters and questioned off-and-on all night and into Saturday afternoon. The goal was to get her to tell authorities where the children were. Different detectives tried — as did a psychiatrist who had treated Hoggle, Hoggle’s father, and Hoggle’s boyfriend, Turner. |
| Francke, the major-crimes commander, said Turner asked Hoggle where the children were at least 25 times. | Francke, the major-crimes commander, said Turner asked Hoggle where the children were at least 25 times. |
| According to charging documents, Catherine Hoggle gave evasive and vague responses. | According to charging documents, Catherine Hoggle gave evasive and vague responses. |
| Hoggle initially told detectives she had left the children with a friend. | Hoggle initially told detectives she had left the children with a friend. |
| “The defendant confessed to taking the children and giving them to an old high school friend she called ‘Erin,’ ” detectives wrote. “According to the defendant, ‘Erin’ resides in Bethesda, Montgomery County, Maryland. The defendant stated she did not know ‘Erin’s’ last name or address; however she was absolutely OK with her kids staying with ‘Erin’ for these last five days. The defendant stated she did not have any contact with ‘Erin’ or the kids during this period.” | |
| Hoggle told detectives she could call ‘Erin’ if she had her cellphone. Detectives brought her the phone, but Hoggle started deleting records from it so detectives took it back. | Hoggle told detectives she could call ‘Erin’ if she had her cellphone. Detectives brought her the phone, but Hoggle started deleting records from it so detectives took it back. |
| “At a later part of the interview,” detectives wrote, “the defendant changed her story and stated she would like to take the detectives to the location of the children.” Police took her by car toward Germantown and she directed them to a playground, and she told them “she left her children alone at this playground and she abandoned both children.” | |
| But the playground claim didn’t yield any information, police said. | But the playground claim didn’t yield any information, police said. |
| Hoggle “knows the location of the missing children; however she continues to obstruct and hinder this investigation and further places them in grave danger,” detectives wrote in court papers. | |
| “We keep a ray of hope,” Francke said, “but from what she said and what we know about what information that should be provided about them, and that she hasn’t contacted them, this is the natural progression for us.” | “We keep a ray of hope,” Francke said, “but from what she said and what we know about what information that should be provided about them, and that she hasn’t contacted them, this is the natural progression for us.” |
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