TOP EIGHT REASONS to SEARCH for 2 MISSING CHILDREN
Background: Sarah and Jacob Hoggle, ages 3 and 2, respectively, went missing on Sunday, September 7, 2014 (Jacob) and Monday, September 8, 2014 (Sarah, and their mother, Catherine). Their mother was apprehended five days after her disappearance (Monday evening at 7 PM, 2014) — on the following Friday, September 12, 2014. During an 8-year attempt to find Catherine Competent to Stand Trial for the charges in their disappearance, she was never found Competent. Sarah and Jacob have never been found.
I am Catherine’s mother, grandmother to Sarah and Jacob Hoggle — and to their older brother who will soon be 15. My intent is to peacefully discover the truth — for my oldest grandson. He deserves to know the truth.
ONE: Childhood Amnesia
Childhood Amnesia is the inability of adults to recollect early memories from their infant years.
It has long been known that most people’s memories only date back to about age 3. There is pretty strong consensus that children typically remember only back to about 5 years old. A recent Emory University study extended the age even further- to age 7.
Sarah and Jacob were toddlers when they went missing. Experts have advised the family that their ages when they disappeared would likely prevent them from remembering their past — meaning that they would likely not remember family. Some thought that Sarah may be able to recall some of her past as she would have turned four years old within two months of their disappearance. Her birthdate is: November 20, 2010. Jacob had just turned 2 years-old on July 3, 2014.
TWO: Childhood Vulnerability
Childhood Vulnerability, while acknowledged in child development and children’s rights circles, is poorly defined. It is the obvious risk that an infant or child may be exposed to due to their dependence on adults.
For Sarah and Jacob, they may not know they were removed from their family. Because they were young when they disappeared, they could have been told most anything — their parents were killed, they were adopted, they were given away.
In the same sense, they likely did not know they were “missing”.
They could have been adopted, or told they were adopted.
THREE: Catherine
Catherine has said she had a plan, to escape with the children. Sometimes saying she planned to live at the beach. Confirmed multiple times. From the beginning. Some ask, why did she do this at the time she did? She was making progress in her treatment and was ready to return home.
· She felt “punished for having mental illness” due to an adult having to be with her when she was with the children — advice from a doctor at some point — due to the complex medication side effects. That put her to sleep. Or made her drool. Or slowed her thinking down.
· There were those within her inner circle who were gaslighting her — telling her that her children would be taken from her due to the mental illness.
· With her Summer 2013 Involuntary Commitment to a local Psych Ward, someone forged my signature to make her think it was me who had her committed.
· Because I was “off guard” that weekend — I had a college friend come in for the weekend and I asked Troy and Catherine to get another babysitter for that time, as I often had the three children on the weekends. I believe Catherine knew I would be less involved and not pay close attention. What made little sense is that she came to my house with all three children on Sunday anyway — even when she knew I had asked for a few days off.
· From September 2017 through early 2022 — four and one-half years- speaking with her multiple times daily, she never once “slipped up” or said anything other than there was a plan.
FOUR: Complete lack of Forensic Evidence
None. No fingerprints. No DNA. No bodies. Although over 14,000 acres were searched in the days following their disappearance. Nothing.
FIVE: Tragic Turn in the Investigation
As I have stated earlier, there was an obvious movement within 72 hours that the investigation would be turned over to Major Crimes: Homicide. Understandably, there are diminishing chances of locating an individual with each day that goes by, but there were so many difficult pieces we were all still trying to piece together.
This was likely a tragic mix of decisions made with incomplete data, use of an FBI Profile in analyzing an individual prior to even speaking with that individual, and the stigma of mental illness. For a start. There was incredible pressure on law enforcement to solve the case. Understandably. It was emotional for anyone involved in any component of the situation. While searches continued, they were mainly grid searches — for bodies.
SIX: Altruism and the Public
The Public was very helpful, calling in tips to police. They also submitted anonymous tips via the FindSarahFindJacob website that a family friend set up and monitored. These tips were submitted to law enforcement and most times the family also investigated the tips. There were tips that came in the FindSarahFindJacob Facebook page, on family member’s cell phones, personal Facebook pages, Facebook messenger, via email — just about any possible method of communication.
Law enforcement took the stance that the public wanted to help in so many ways, that they inadvertently “tried too hard” or were somewhat defined by Altruism -behavior motivated by the goal of increasing someone else’s welfare — without expecting anything in return. So while law enforcement followed up on tips from the public — they were typically explained away — that the person making the tip wanted so badly to help that they “mis-reported” what may have looked like Sarah and Jacob to them.
Each time there is publicity in the case, police receive many obviously “crank calls” from all over the world. They have to sift through these tips, distill what might be a reasonable tip and put the real pieces of the puzzle together. Unfortunately, this approach means that many tips were not taken seriously. This all occurred almost nine years ago — I want to believe that public tips have gained in credibility during that time.
SEVEN: Freudian Slips & Coincidences
These of course are in my list of red flags, but as I have stated before — I could not weave them into a quilt of “probable cause” — where law enforcement could have acted.
A few:
When Catherine came back to my house on Sunday night, stating that she had taken Jacob overnight with a friend, she was wearing a large, pressed dark purple dress shirt that was Troy’s. It was not something she usually wore, and I commented on it. She immediately removed the shirt and left it on my kitchen counter. She had definitely been back to their apartment in Clarksburg.
Catherine and I spoke about 1:30 PM on Monday afternoon (when she and Sarah went missing), while she was at her Day Program. I inquired about Sarah and Jacob. She said: “I have to go — go to group (therapy)- for the last time.” I questioned her then and multiple times later. No acknowledgment that she said it — I know what I heard. She had planned to take the children and leave.
When Troy found what appeared to be Jacob’s hair in his razor.
When she wished her younger sister “Happy Birthday” on the phone and wrapped it up with “Watch out for Joe.”
When I retrieved their van (which I had loaned them for a year or so), I found a bright pink laundry basket, completely filled with Sarah’s favorite hot pink sheets from her bed, and clothes of Sarah’s neatly folded in the laundry basket. I inquired but did not get any answers that another family member had filled the laundry basket.
I could go on….
Eight: Mental Illness
The stigma of mental illness — particularly of a Serious Mental Illness (SMI) like Schizophrenia, prompts the worst impression of what the outcome could be. In this case, it was reported early on “Paranoid Schizophrenia”. Tragic in Catherine’s case because there were individuals trying to make her think she was being followed.
There is so much more known about Mental Illness today (and even 8+ years ago), however many of the treatment and interventions have not made it to patient care. Schizophrenia, in particular, presents vastly different in different individuals. Much like the “Spectrum of Autism”, many now consider the same “spectrum” of SMI. One person can have vastly different symptoms and exhibit varying different levels of disability. Catherine functioned well even with her conditions.
The treatment of Schizophrenia is also highly variable. During her treatment at the forensic hospital in Maryland, during the many attempts to have her “competent to stand trial” — individual therapy was never used — until recently. I am somewhat reticent about complaining to/about Mental Hospitals because I know enough to appreciate there are SO many barriers to trying to sustain good mental health care — particularly in-patient care. I can say there are many different parameters which have helped Catherine and those in her position. There are organizations and facilities that are successful in treating mental health, where individuals with SMI can have a productive, joyful life. We just need more of them. And better support for the hospitals trying to do their best.
There are many changes that are moving the needle forward on mental illness. And there are reasons to be hopeful.
