Overview
- Montgomery County court ruled on Dec. 10 that Catherine Hoggle is competent to face two first-degree murder charges tied to the 2014 disappearance of her children, Sarah and Jacob.
- State-appointed psychiatrist Nicole Johnson testified that Hoggle remains psychotic and unable to assist in her defense, while Dr. Christiane Tellefsen said Hoggle has shown no psychosis since 2024 and is competent.
- Prosecutors highlighted Hoggle’s text messages and recorded jail calls, arguing they show her discussing legal strategy and grasping the implications of a competency finding.
- Defense attorney David Felsen argued the state did not prove competency beyond a reasonable doubt given the opposing expert opinions and challenged the state’s interpretation of the communications.
- The ruling follows a procedural history in which charges were dismissed in 2022 after five years of incompetence, then refiled in 2025, clearing the path for the case to move toward trial.