A Montgomery County judge ruled Wednesday that Catherine Hoggle is competent to stand trial for murder in the 2014 disappearance of her two children, giving prosecutors a key win in their years-long pursuit to charge the mother they accuse of exaggerating her mental condition.
Circuit Court Judge James Bonifant determined Ms. Hoggle is capable of understanding the charges against her and assisting in her defense if she is to face murder charges in the deaths of daughter Sarah, 3, and son Jacob, 2.
Ms. Hoggle vanished with her two children in September 2014. She reemerged a week later, but the toddlers were never seen again.
A paranoid schizophrenia diagnosis had prevented prosecutors’ from charging Ms. Hoggle in 2017 and 2022.
Montgomery County State’s Attorney John McCarthy revived the case in August after Ms. Hoggle, 39, was discharged from a psychiatric hospital. She had been held at the facility since 2015.
During a competency hearing this week, Dr. Nicole Johnson, a forensic psychiatrist at Clifton T. Perkins Hospital in Jessup, testified that Ms. Hoggle continues to struggle with her psychotic disorder and is a danger to herself and others.
But Dr. Christiane Tellefson, a forensic psychiatrist hired by prosecutors, said the Clarksburg mother is competent based on how she behaved in recorded phone calls she made while behind bars and text messages she had sent.
Dr. Tellefson acknowledged that Ms. Hoggle does have schizophrenia, but said her condition improved after her charges were dropped in 2022.
“She does not have an acute state of it now,” the psychiatrist said. “She’s not psychotic anymore. She’s rational.”
Dr. Tellefson’s opinion aligns with the prosecution’s long-held theory that Ms. Hoggle is malingering, or playing up her schizophrenia to stave off criminal charges.
Troy Turner, Ms. Hoggle’s former husband, has said during press interviews that he believes his wife is exaggerating how severe her condition is. He said Ms. Hoggle discussed legal strategies with him when she was first arrested a decade ago.
Judge Bonifant said he wants the prosecution and the defense to return to court within two weeks so they can go over next steps.
