The murder trial of Catherine Hoggle, who is accused of killing two of her children, is delayed until 2027.
Hoggle, of Montgomery County, Maryland, is charged with two counts of murder after Sarah Hoggle, 3, and Jacob Hoggle, 2, disappeared in 2014. Their bodies have never been found.
At a status hearing Wednesday, Hoggle’s trial was rescheduled for between Oct. 4 and Nov. 5, 2027. She was set to go on trial this Oct. 19.
Hoggle’s defense has said she plans to plead “not criminally responsible” for the alleged crimes “because of a mental disorder.” The attorneys said she lacked the ability to “appreciate the criminality of the alleged conduct” or “conform to the law.” It’s Maryland’s form of an insanity defense.
The prosecution will have doctors and specialists evaluate Hoggle.
Montgomery County State’s Attorney John McCarthy previously said the insanity plea could cause the trial to be delayed, which he said would be torture for Sarah and Jacob’s family.
Hoggle’s relatives have said she has schizophrenia and has been on many medications to deal with her condition.
She was charged with murder after Sarah and Jacob disappeared. While she was the last person known to have seen the children, she has never said where she took them or what may have happened to them.
Previous murder charges against Hoggle were dropped under Maryland law because she repeatedly was found not competent to stand trial.
