WASHINGTON — Lawyer聽David Felsen says his client, Catherine Hoggle, suffers from a mental illness so severe that she聽may not remember what happened to her children, 4-year-old Sarah and 2-year-old Jacob.
鈥淓ven if she were able to, no defendant can be forced to give evidence against themselves,” Felsen said.
The children’s father, Troy Turner, is growing frustrated as the months tick by.
Turner says聽he spoke to Hoggle a couple of months ago and that she seemed disconnected.
“It was as if nothing is going on. Like, 鈥楬ey, how鈥檚 it going? I got new glasses.鈥� I鈥檓 like, 鈥極K. Now, about the kids.鈥� She said she was working on bringing them home.鈥�
Hoggle is charged with abduction, neglect and hindering law enforcement鈥檚 investigation ever since she took Sarah and Jacob between Sept. 7聽and Sept. 8, 2014. Hoggle聽remains incompetent to stand trial.
Lindsey Hoggle, Sarah and Jacob’s grandmother, says Hoggle聽is lucid and knew what she was doing when the children went missing.
鈥淚鈥檓 confident that she is aware of what happened. She is very bright,鈥� Lindsey Hoggle says.
Still Hoggle聽won鈥檛 offer any details about the childrens鈥� whereabouts.
Lindsey Hoggle says she speaks to her daughter聽every day.
Montgomery County Police think the children are dead. They’re building a homicide case against Hoggle.
鈥淸Police] have not provided any information publicly or to us that the children are not alive, so we wait to see what the investigation reveals and we鈥檒l just have to proceed from there,” Felsen said. “But there鈥檚 no question this is a very difficult case. What happened September a year ago is still a mystery.”
Turner said .
鈥淲here鈥檚 any hard evidence that they鈥檙e not out there?” he asked. “I just ask that people continue to be vigilant. Understand there鈥檚 a chance they are out there.”
Hoggle is scheduled for another status hearing Sept. 18.
