Trial of Catherine Hoggle, accused of murdering children, postponed
25 september 2026 в 03:37
The trial of Catherine Hoggle, a Maryland woman accused of murdering her two young children, has been postponed until next year. The trial is now set to begin on October 4, 2027, although it was originally scheduled to start next month, as ruled by the judge on September 23, NBC4 Washington reports.
According to Hoggle’s attorneys, she is 39 years old and intends to plead not guilty by reason of insanity to two counts of murder. The defense claims that Hoggle will seek such a plea «due to mental illness» and that she was unable to «appreciate the criminality of her alleged conduct» or «conform her conduct to the requirements of the law».
Hoggle was the last person to see her children, Sarah and Jacob, in September 2014, according to the Montgomery County police. The children were reported missing that month and have not been found to this day. In August 2025, Hoggle was charged with two counts of murder in connection with their disappearance, as stated by the police in a press release last year.
The charges followed her release from custody in July 2025, when she was charged with child neglect, obstruction of justice, and murder. She had previously been found incompetent to stand trial due to mental health issues and was committed to a psychiatric facility.
The case began when Hoggle’s ex-boyfriend, Troy Turner, reported Hoggle and their children missing on September 8, 2014. On that day, Turner claimed that Hoggle told him she was taking the children to daycare but later could not provide information on where exactly. She was arrested on September 13, 2014, after attempting to evade police.
In August, Hoggle’s defense filed a motion for her to be found not guilty by reason of insanity, which in Maryland is considered a guilty plea due to mental illness. Hoggle has never disclosed possible locations of her children or the circumstances of their disappearance.
According to Hoggle’s attorneys, she is 39 years old and intends to plead not guilty by reason of insanity to two counts of murder. The defense claims that Hoggle will seek such a plea «due to mental illness» and that she was unable to «appreciate the criminality of her alleged conduct» or «conform her conduct to the requirements of the law».
Hoggle was the last person to see her children, Sarah and Jacob, in September 2014, according to the Montgomery County police. The children were reported missing that month and have not been found to this day. In August 2025, Hoggle was charged with two counts of murder in connection with their disappearance, as stated by the police in a press release last year.
The charges followed her release from custody in July 2025, when she was charged with child neglect, obstruction of justice, and murder. She had previously been found incompetent to stand trial due to mental health issues and was committed to a psychiatric facility.
The case began when Hoggle’s ex-boyfriend, Troy Turner, reported Hoggle and their children missing on September 8, 2014. On that day, Turner claimed that Hoggle told him she was taking the children to daycare but later could not provide information on where exactly. She was arrested on September 13, 2014, after attempting to evade police.
In August, Hoggle’s defense filed a motion for her to be found not guilty by reason of insanity, which in Maryland is considered a guilty plea due to mental illness. Hoggle has never disclosed possible locations of her children or the circumstances of their disappearance.
© Zhinobaeva Margarita
