Her phones, wallet, car and dog were left behind. Nearly a week later, a DC mother is still missing

Search Intensifies for Washington Mother Missing From Her Home

Earthguardiansonline.com – Washington, DC, authorities and relatives are seeking public help in the disappearance of Antoinette Forbes, a 53-year-old mother who has not been seen since early September. Her family says the situation became especially troubling after personal belongings, her vehicle and her dog were found at her home while Forbes herself was gone.

Forbes was last seen in person on Friday, September 4, in the 3200 block of Nebraska Avenue NW. The Metropolitan Police Department has circulated a missing-person notice and says its investigation remains active. Officials have not released information concerning Forbes’ son or other investigative details.

Police describe Forbes as an Asian woman who is 5 feet 2 inches tall and weighs about 115 pounds. She has black hair and brown eyes. What she may have been wearing when she disappeared has not been made public.

Personal belongings remained at the residence

Forbes’ relatives and friends say she left behind items that would normally be essential for travel or day-to-day life: two phones, including a work phone, a wallet, a laptop and her car. Her dog, Max, was also at the property. The home’s front door was unlocked, they said.

Those details have left loved ones struggling to understand what happened. Aileen Forbes, Antoinette’s older sister, said the family has been overwhelmed by fear while trying to remain hopeful.

“We’re in absolute shock and horror,” Aileen Forbes said. “We have our own very close-knit immediate family, but we have a very large extended family. We’re horrified.”

Aileen said she is resisting thoughts of the worst possible outcome as the search continues.

“I am trying really hard not to even conceive of that … because it would mean that my family is destroyed,” she said. “I’m still trying very hard to keep the faith and the strong, harsh belief that I’ve had from the start that my sister is alive.”

A missed call raised alarm

The sisters had maintained a close relationship and commonly spoke on weekend mornings. Aileen said they spoke by FaceTime on Saturday morning, discussing ordinary plans for the weekend and the coming week. They intended to speak again the following day, but that conversation never took place.

As time passed without contact, concern grew. Aileen said she became convinced something was wrong when she tried to tell her sister that she had Covid-19 and received no response. While Forbes has a demanding professional life, her family says disappearing without warning would be out of character.

“She’s a very busy woman. She’s got a full life,” Aileen said. “Single mother, highly successful professional.”

Forbes is associate vice president and head of public affairs at Eli Lilly. A company spokesperson said the pharmaceutical firm is assisting police efforts and hopes for her safe return.

“We are deeply concerned for Antoinette and are thinking of her and her family in this uncertain time,” the spokesperson said. “We hope for her safe return.”

Friends entered home on Labor Day

On Monday, Labor Day, Aileen asked family friends Louis and Margarita, who live close to Forbes’ residence and had a key, to check on her. After Margarita went inside, she sent Aileen a message that immediately intensified the family’s fears.

“I think something happened,” the message said.

Aileen recalled the impact of seeing it.

“My heart stopped after I read that text,” she said.

Louis later called to describe the items still inside the house: Forbes’ phones, her wallet, her laptop and Max, while her car remained in the driveway. Forbes was nowhere to be found.

Elizabeth Northrup, a friend with whom Aileen has been staying during the search, said the group does not believe Forbes voluntarily left her home. She said law enforcement checked hospitals, friends also sought information from hospitals, and there was no indication Forbes had flown anywhere.

“She did not walk out of that house and go voluntarily,” Northrup said.

A mother at the center of the search

Forbes is the single mother of a 10-year-old boy, whom her sister described as the focus of her life. Aileen said her sister’s responsibilities to her child, her dog and her family make the disappearance difficult to reconcile with the person they know.

“(He) is Antoinette’s life,” Aileen said. “Antoinette is a 100% solid, reliable, intelligent, competent woman who is a devoted mother. She would never leave her son. She wouldn’t leave her dog. She wouldn’t leave her sister who needs her.”

Missing-person cases can involve a wide range of circumstances, including voluntary departures, medical emergencies, missing children and crimes. The FBI’s Crime Information Center recorded roughly half a million missing-person reports in the United States last year. Each case requires its own assessment, and families can face difficult choices as they work with investigators and try to broaden public awareness.

Forbes’ family is asking anyone who may have seen her, noticed unusual activity near Nebraska Avenue NW, or has information that could help establish her whereabouts to contact the Metropolitan Police Department. As the investigation continues, those close to her are holding on to the hope that she can be found safely and reunited with her son, family and Max.