News4 has obtained text messages sent by double murder suspect Catherine Hoggle, the Montgomery County woman accused of killing her two youngest children 11 years ago.
The texts were presented in court earlier this week. A judge ruling yesterday that Hoggle is competent to stand trial in the deaths of 3-year-old Sarah and 2-year-old Jacob. Their bodies have never been found.
Text messages from Hoggle show how she was involved in strategizing her defense from inside her jail cell in Montgomery County.
In one of those revealing messages, Hoggle wrote, “My secret for navigating my many diff environments is: Im a chameleon. Sike. I have good support system around me.”
News4 obtained 12 pages of texts between Hoggle, her mom, and Stephanie, the wife of Troy Turner. Turner is the father of Sarah and Jacob, who disappeared in September 2014.
Hoggle is charged with murdering the children. On Wednesday, a judge ruled she is competent to stand trial.
Messages from Stephanie show she was trying to get Hoggle to say what happened to Sarah and Jacob for the good of Hoggle’s surviving son.
Stephanie wrote in part, “If the kids are in heaven bc that’s what you needed to do to protect them, then so be it. He will accept that. If there are remains then he wants them here with him. If there are not, then he deserves to know there are none.”
News4 does not know how or if Hoggle responded to that text.
The messages reveal Hoggle was involved in discussions about possibly hiring a new attorney. Hoggle said in part: “… I don’t want us to take him if he’s offering an obsene price like I think he’s going to do. We have a little time to get a reasonable lawyer for all this.”
Hoggle also spoke of having a peaceful protest at the jail ahead of her bond review hearing in September: “Done the Saturday before the 30th to show the judge the support I have from all these channels.”
Her mom, Lindsey Hoggle, wrote, “I think we just have to focus on the situation at hand. Love you.”
Catherine Hoggle replied: “My freedom is the situation at hand.”
Hoggle also appeared frustrated with her mom in one exchange over something someone told Stephanie. Hoggle said to her mom: “Idk but u or Dad told her that I know where the kids r. And so she’s convinced. Its making things super complicated for me to handle.”
News4 also obtained recordings of some phone calls Catherine Hoggle made from the jail, including one in which she said, “They didn’t even have a search warrant. They lied about that too.”
Montgomery County State’s Attorney John McCarthy used the text messages and calls as part of his argument that Hoggle is competent to stand trial.
“Those text messages and those phone calls were an insight as to how she really acted, what she really understood,” McCarthy said.
Hoggle’s attorney, David Felsen, continues to argue that Hoggle is not competent to aid in her own defense.
“I don’t think that a text or a phone call or a series of these things addresses the issue at hand, but the judge made his decision, and we respect it,” Felsen said.
Hoggle is due back at court later this month. A trial date has not yet been yet.
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