The sister of missing Washington, D.C., mother Antoinette Forbes said the family had no idea she had been trapped in an abusive relationship until allegations from a 2021 attack came to light after the arrest of her 10-year-old son’s father.
Russell Ashford, 65, was taken into custody in Pennsylvania last week. The Montgomery County District Attorney’s Office said he allegedly kept the couple’s son overnight without authorization on the night Antoinette was last seen. Prosecutors also accused him of violating probation tied to the 2021 assault case. Authorities have not identified Ashford as a suspect in Antoinette’s disappearance.
“Antoinette never told us anything about the 2021 assault. We’re still trying to understand it, and it feels impossible to grasp,” her sister, Aileen, told News Media.
“I didn’t learn about it until I saw portions of the report after my sister disappeared.”
Antoinette Forbes smiles beside her sister, Aileen, in a family photo. (Courtesy of the Family and Friends of Antoinette Forbes)
Maryland court records show that Ashford pleaded guilty to first-degree assault in 2021.
Court documents say the violence began during a dispute about their child’s education. Ashford allegedly hurled Antoinette into a staircase, punched her repeatedly as she lay on the kitchen floor and slammed her head against the ground at least 12 times, causing her to lose consciousness.
The attack reportedly continued until a neighbor heard Antoinette screaming and came inside to help.
Medical examinations found that Antoinette had suffered numerous cuts to her face, several fractured facial bones, an eye injury, a concussion, a broken finger and extensive bruising, according to court records. Prosecutors said the assault caused lasting damage to her eye and hand.
Ashford received a 15-year prison sentence after pleading guilty, but authorities said he served nine months before being released on five years of probation.
Aileen said the revelations have stunned the family, which is still struggling to come to terms with what allegedly happened.
“The report is horrifying. Honestly, I haven’t even had a chance to fully process it. Knowing my sister may have experienced something so brutal is incredibly painful for me and everyone in our family. We don’t want to imagine it, and we can barely do so,” Aileen said.
Antoinette Forbes sits with her son in a family photograph. (Courtesy of the Family and Friends of Antoinette Forbes)
Aileen believes Antoinette may have concealed the abuse because she was trying to shield the people closest to her.
“She wanted to protect us from what was happening. Antoinette didn’t want us to have any connection or involvement with Russell,” Aileen said.
More than two weeks have passed since Antoinette was last seen on Friday, Sept. 4. Her sister said Antoinette had been planning to take her son to California to visit family the following week.
She was reported missing on Sept. 6 after friends discovered that her dog, vehicle, cellphone and wallet were still inside her home, while Antoinette was nowhere to be found.
Antoinette Forbes stands for a photo on an empty cobblestone street. (Courtesy of the Family and Friends of Antoinette Forbes)
Ashford was arrested soon after Antoinette disappeared on allegations that he violated probation conditions barring hostile contact with her or their child, court records state. His arrest came as investigators examined the circumstances surrounding her disappearance.
According to reports, Ashford showed up without notice at his son’s summer camp on July 16, 2026. Staff told him he was not authorized to pick up the child and requested identification. He allegedly responded aggressively toward a counselor, leading the camp to submit a formal written account of the incident.
Pennsylvania State Police told News Media that Ashford was arrested after a traffic stop revealed he had an active warrant tied to the July incident.
Authorities told News Media last week that the search for Antoinette is ongoing and that officials do not have any updates to share with the public.
Aileen further urged anyone living in the Nebraska Avenue Northwest neighborhood where Antoinette lived to check their security cameras and think back to anything that may have seemed peculiar.
“Just check it, try to jog your memory,” Aileen pleaded. “Was there something that seemed peculiar that might be something that you can come forward with and offer a detail to the authorities? It might make a difference.”
“To everyone who has been following this devastating story and who has been a part of the search for Antoinette, who showed up at the vigil, who’s contributed to our GoFundMe account… I just want to say a deep thank you because it’s so meaningful to me and our family.”