November 2014
Note Well: I have made great attempts at making my posts short — sticking to what crucial pieces may fall into what I consider to be “tips”, “important info” or “snippets of events that may nudge someone to reach out.” I am challenged by this as I recall specific instances that are part of the story. Some I am saving for another day. Thank you for your patience in reading.
The evening of Saturday, November 1, 2014:
Continuing the events of Saturday, November 1, 2014, where Missy (a childhood friend of Catherine’s who showed up early after they disappeared), and I had started early in our tour of the Chesapeake and Ohio Canal (184.5 miles long) from the northernmost point where we had stapled flyers (in page protectors) along the access points and locks. We continued until about 6 PM and decided to head home. The following events are from my records:
6:47 PM: Catherine called me and I put the call on speaker as we were still driving.
Catherine said she wanted to “make things right” and asked that the police detective return so she could share where Sarah and Jacob were. I tried to get the detective on the phone without luck, so called the Police Captain. I told him of the conversation and said that Catherine sounded very different and could he go to Perkins (cringing the entire time, as I had no way of knowing what would evolve.). Had she been at Perkins Hospital longer, I would have known that what she wanted was impossible. There were specific protocols to adhere to — and being in a maximum security ward made her leaving spontaneously near impossible- even with a police escort.
Saturday Night Trip to Perkins Hospital
Long story short, on a Saturday night at 7:30 pm or so, the Police Captain drove to Perkins, called me prior to going through Security to let me know he was there and to let Catherine know. Prior to entering the security access, all belongings, including phones are left behind. When I then contacted Catherine, she had already received her medication and was not allowed a visitor. She asked that I send the detective the next morning, and I shared that “crying wolf” gave her very little credibility. I will always appreciate what the Police Captain did that night — though it didn’t give us answers.
What evolved after Saturday Night:
Per instructions from Law Enforcement, Missy wrote a chronology of what happened during the conversation with Catherine (as we were driving back from the canal.)
Police tried to see Catherine the next day, on Sunday, with no success in getting answers.
Monday, November 3, 2014: I met with the Montgomery County States Attorney, who agreed to ask the judge at the upcoming Competency Hearing if Catherine could take us to where they were. I asked “how could that be possible?”, as media and others would be following. He shared an approach, giving courthouse logistics, which would allow for more privacy in leaving the courthouse.
November 6, 2014 (Thursday): was the date of Catherine’s first hearing (after the initial hearing when she was charged.)
This also was the date of a 2-day seminar that I was participating in — luckily, very close to the Rockville Court House. I went to the seminar and mid-morning, received a phone call asking if Catherine had indeed asked to take law enforcement to the children. Yes, I said. Apparently, her attorneys, her father — no one else was aware of her request, except for Missy, myself, law enforcement, and the States Attorney. .
Outcome of the Competency Hearing from November 6, 2014:
Upon entering the courtroom, I gave a copy of what Missy had written to the States Attorney, as we had agreed to a plan that would have Catherine provide information on Sarah and Jacob’s whereabouts. I sat next to Dan Morse, Courts & Crime Reporter for the Washington Post. I was on the end of a pew, behind the prosecution, on the left side of the courtroom. I had no clue what to expect from the hearing.
When Catherine walked out, to the right side of the courtroom, in the court chamber, in front of a banister/divider where the public sat, I was aghast. My location provided a full view of her, which I was sorely underprepared for. There, in prison/hospital garb, was my oldest daughter, handcuffed, in leg shackles and under heavy security. I can still remember the feeling of pitching forward slightly, waiting for my senses to bring me to reality.
The events of that hearing are best described by Dan Morse. This first hearing set a frustrating, desperate precedent for just how complex and confounding the legal system mixed with the mental health system could be.
I left the courthouse to drive back to my seminar, where I was on a panel discussion. It was the first day of what would be my mixed up world of juggling life with the search for Sarah and Jacob. Upon leaving the courthouse, I saw hope in an amazing, lasting only a minute or so — rainbow…
I can be reached at lindseybhoggle@gmail.com.
