9 episodes
Unrestorable iHeart True Crime
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- True Crime
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4.1 • 106 Ratings
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In September 2014, 3-year-old Sarah and 2-year-old Jacob were last seen in the care of their mother, Catherine Hoggle, in Maryland. Sarah and Jacob have never been found. After disappearing for several days, Catherine was arrested and ultimately charged with the children’s murder. Catherine was declared not competent to stand trial shortly after and has been committed to a psychiatric facility until her competency can be restored.
But plenty of people - including some of Catherine’s own family members - have suggested she’s faking incompetence, convinced it’s her path out of prison.
Sarah and Jacob’s dad, Troy, and his wife, Stephanie, continue to search for the kids, desperate for both answers and justice. And now, the clock is ticking. Maryland law requires dismissal of murder charges against a defendant found incompetent to stand trial after the expiration of five years. This means that Catherine could be on the verge of release. Troy, Stephanie and their lawyer, Matt—along with police and prosecutors—are racing to stop that from happening.
In addition to a compelling and tragic personal narrative, this case raises broader issues about mental health and the justice system and the unintended consequences of well-intentioned laws. Journalists Sarah Treleaven and Beth Karas examine a father’s quest for justice and one key question that overshadows this case: Can you really fake being incompetent and get away with murder?
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Episode 1 – Crisis
A mentally ill mother. A family in crisis. And a father’s worst nightmare.
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Episode 2 – Missing
When Troy realizes his youngest children are missing, can he depend on their mother to help him find them?
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Episode 3 – Incompetent
Catherine is charged with the disappearance of her children, but a judge finds she is incompetent to stand trial. What does this mean for Troy’s search for his kids and pursuit of justice?
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Episode 4 – Faking It?
Catherine is treated in a state-run psychiatric hospital after being found incompetent to stand trial. But Troy and others raise questions about whether she’s faking it to avoid accountability.
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Episode 5 – The Ticking Clock
After years of advocacy by Troy, a judge finally decides to hear testimony from sworn witnesses about Catherine’s competency, and may even question Catherine directly. But as the clock counts down to the mandatory dismissal of charges, is it too little too late?
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Episode 6 – The Decision
The judge prepares to rule in Catherine’s competency hearing. Will Troy finally get the justice he’s been seeking for almost a decade?
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Customer Reviews
Story will stay with you
Very glad I came across this story. It will make you think and stay with you long after the episodes finish.
Amazing but the ads are sooo annoying
This pod cast is gripping and so well made and produced, however if I have to listen to Paul Anna’s voice again I might give up. The ad breaks are like 3 minutes.
Not enough information about mental health
The father, Troy, and many Americans like to equate justice with locking everyone away forever. Mentally ill people commit crimes and are so often thrown away like they are nothing. The believe that everyone should have a chance at rehabilitation and reintegration into society is so hard for Americans to grasp.This is a story of what happens when the mental healthcare in a country is constantly failing it’s citizens. The father uses words like “monster” to describe his wife who is a diagnosed paranoid schizophrenic. He believes putting her on trial and facing a prison sentence is a form of retribution which is just wild. I don’t like the stance that the podcast takes on this. How can you even question medical professionals who diagnosed her and argue that she cannot stand trial?
Also, like everyone else is saying, the amount of ads makes this almost impossible to listen to.