Steve Burns
WMAL.com

WASHINGTON — (WMAL) Eleven months after Sarah and Jacob Hoggle disappeared, search efforts continue as the children’s father claims their mother is mentally competent to stand trial. Catherine Hoggle was last with the children in early September 2014 but refuses to tell police where they are. She is charged with child neglect, abduction and hindering a police investigation but will not stand trial until a judge declares her mentally competent, something they are checking every two months. Hoggle will be in court again next month.

“They’re saying that she’s still not competent, but as opposed to waiting the typical six months, they’re going to test her in two because they think it’s fixable,” said Hoggle’s common-law husband Troy Turner. He was appearing this week at an event to promote a campaign to find missing and exploited children. “I’ve spoken to her several times, and she seemed completely lucid every time I’ve talked to her.”

Turner said he recently submitted DNA to see if the body of a young girl that had washed up in Boston Harbor was Sarah Hoggle. It was not a match.

“In terms of crimes like this, this was planned out in advance. This was a crime,” Turner said. Asked if he believed she was competent, “I believe to stand trial, to know what she did, definitely. I’ve looked up people who were found competent in trials previously who were way crazier than she is, so I don’t know.”

“To me, the whole insanity thing is kind of weird,” Turner said. “If someone is killing someone or taking kids or something like that, if it’s not an accidental manslaughter or self-defense, you’re clearly crazy. I don’t understand the point of it. It doesn’t make sense to me.”

Turner said his sister is organizing another search effort later this month. “Next Saturday, anyone who can get out to the Germantown Community Center, we appreciate it.”

Copyright 2015 by WMAL.com. All Rights Reserved. (PHOTO: #FindSarah #FindJacob Campaign)