Montgomery County mother charged in missing children case loses appeal

Court of Appeals rules against Maryland mom in case of missing children

Maryland's Court of Special Appeals on Wednesday rejected Catherine Hoggle's argument that prosecutors have run out of time to put her on trial for her alleged role in the deaths of her two children.

MONTGOMERY COUNTY, Md. - A major twist has occurred in a case that has rocked Montgomery County for almost seven years now.

PREVIOUS COVERAGE: Hoggle Case: Father outraged over potential dismissal of charges against mother

Catherine Hoggle, the woman charged with the murder of her two children who have been missing for seven years, lost a court appeal on Wednesday.

Maryland’s Court of Special Appeals rejected Hoggle’s argument that prosecutors ran out of time to put her on trial for murder after her two children, 3-year-old Sarah and 2-year-old Jacob, disappeared in 2014.

Her lawyer is considering an appeal.

The children’s father, Troy Turner, says he’s grateful for the court’s decision.

"We’re still never going to give up on them. Like I keep saying, this isn’t something that gets better with time and there’s no such thing as closure when you’re kids are gone, you know?" he said.

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Hoggle’s attorneys say they’re displeased with the decision.

"We’re disappointed. We think that the court of special appeals decision allows for manipulation of certain procedural things that we think happened in this case and which substantially affect our defendant's procedural rights, statutory rights, and constitutional rights," said defense attorney David Felsen.

Hoggle is currently held in a mental health hospital in Jessup, Md. Prosecutors have until December 2022 to establish whether she’s competent to stand trial.