Two Years Later, Still No Sign of Sarah and Jacob Hoggle

After two of his young children vanished, Troy Turner often found himself in Arora Hills Local Park, where they used to play.

"There are nights when I wind up pulling in here at three in the morning," he said last September. "When I can't sleep at night, I just get out of bed, drive up here, sit here and think."

Wednesday marks two years since 2-year-old Jacob Hoggle was last seen. Jacob's big sister, 3-year-old Sarah, went missing the following day.

Their mother, Catherine Hoggle, is believed to be the last person to have seen them. Hoggle, who had been diagnosed with paranoid schizophrenia before the children went missing, remains in a maximum-security psychiatric hospital. 

She told authorities she left the children with a friend, but has never given details of their whereabouts.

Montgomery County Police have said they believe Sarah and Jacob are dead. 

Timeline of Events as Jacob, Sarah Went Missing

On the afternoon of Sept. 7, 2014, Catherine Hoggle's father drove her and the children to her mother's home in Gaithersburg.

That was the last place anyone saw two-year-old Jacob.

During their visit, Hoggle borrowed her father's car, a gray 2012 Nissan Rogue, and told her parents she was taking Jacob to get pizza.

Three hours later, she returned without her son or any food, telling her parents she'd dropped off Jacob at a playmate's house. She then went back to her own home with Sarah.

Police have said that Turner, who worked nights, never knew that Jacob hadn't returned home from his grandmother's house. Police later determined that Jacob had never been at a friend's home.

Early the next morning, Sept. 8, 2014, Hoggle left home with Sarah, telling Turner that she was dropping off the little girl at a daycare center. 

Turner took their third child to the bus stop. Hoggle returned more than two hours later and told Turner that she'd taken both Jacob and Sarah to the unknown daycare.

But when he asked her about picking up their children, Hoggle would not tell him where they were.

Turner decided to go to the police for help, but on the way, the couple stopped at a Chick-fil-A in Germantown, where Hoggle slipped out of the restaurant unnoticed. Turner called police.

Police said a K9 unit tracked her to the area of the Germantown Transit Center. She later appeared on video surveillance.

Hoggle was apprehended several days later with an altered appearance, but without Sarah or Jacob.

Their Father Holds Onto Hope They Will Be Found

For the first two months of her time in police custody, Catherine refused to tell police where the children were, only remaining adamant they were OK. But in November 2014, she told her mother and Turner she wanted to take police to see the kids.

 "She said that she wanted to show the police where the kids were," Turner said. "I asked her how come she doesn't show me, I'm their father, I could pick them up, and then she said that it wouldn't do anything for her to show me, that she needed to show the police herself."

However, a judge said he didn't think Catherine Hoggle was competent and refused to sign an emergency order to let her go with police to look for the missing children.

Since then, Hoggle has not given any information that could lead to finding Jacob or Sarah. She is charged with child neglect and abduction and hindering an investigation, but has been found incompetent to stand trial several times.

Prosecutors believe she is faking incompetency.

In the spring, Hoggle's lawyer told News4 she has tried to escape several times the psychiatric hospital numerous times.

Over the past two years, Turner has organized multiple searches for his children. Turner and other family members have remained determined to find out what happened to them.

"I miss my kids. I want them home," Turner has said.