The sister of missing D.C. mother Antoinette Forbes said she had no idea Antoinette had been in an abusive relationship until details of a 2021 assault emerged after the arrest of her 10-year-old son’s father.
Russell Ashford, 65, was taken into custody last week in Pennsylvania. The Montgomery County District Attorney’s Office said he allegedly took unauthorized overnight custody of the couple’s son on the night Antoinette was last seen. Ashford is also accused of violating probation imposed in connection with the 2021 assault. Authorities have not identified him as a suspect in Antoinette’s disappearance.
“Antoinette did not tell us at all about the assault in 2021, so just wrapping our minds around that, it’s unfathomable. We can’t really conceive it,” Antoinette’s sister, Aileen, told News Outlet.
“I didn’t hear about them until I saw some excerpts of the report after my sister went missing.”
Antoinette Forbes smiles during a photo with her sister, Aileen. (Courtesy of the Family and Friends of Antoinette Forbes)
Maryland court filings show that Ashford pleaded guilty to first-degree assault in 2021.
Court records allege that, during an argument about their child’s schooling, Ashford threw Antoinette into a staircase, punched her repeatedly as she lay on the kitchen floor and slammed her head against the ground at least a dozen times, causing her to lose consciousness.
The attack continued until a neighbor heard Antoinette screaming and went inside the home to intervene.
Antoinette was taken to a hospital, where medical tests found multiple facial lacerations, several fractured facial bones, eye damage, a concussion, a broken finger and extensive bruising, according to court documents. Prosecutors said the injuries caused permanent 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 to five years of probation.
Aileen said the court reports stunned her family, which is still struggling to absorb what happened.
“The report is horrifying. And to tell the truth, I haven’t had the time to fully process that. Just the thought of my sister enduring such a brutal attack is just deeply hurtful to me and to the rest of my family. We don’t want to, we can’t even conceive of it,” Aileen said.
Antoinette Forbes sits alongside her son. (Courtesy of the Family and Friends of Antoinette Forbes)
Aileen said Antoinette may have concealed the abuse because she was trying to shield the people she loved.
“Antoinette, she wanted to protect us from it. She did not want us to have any involvement with Russell,” Aileen said.
More than two weeks have passed since Antoinette was last seen on Friday, Sept. 4. Aileen said her sister had been planning to take her son to California to visit relatives the following week.
Friends reported Antoinette missing on Sept. 6 after finding her dog, car, phone and wallet inside her home, with no sign of her.
Antoinette Forbes poses for a picture while standing in an empty cobblestone street. (Courtesy of the Family and Friends of Antoinette Forbes)
Ashford was arrested shortly after Antoinette disappeared on allegations that he violated his probation. Court documents said the terms barred him from hostile contact with Antoinette or their child, adding to concerns surrounding her disappearance.
On July 16, 2026, Ashford reportedly showed up without warning at his son’s summer camp. Staff told him he was not listed as an approved pickup person and requested identification. He allegedly became agitated and acted forcefully toward a counselor, leading staff to submit a formal written report about the incident.
Pennsylvania State Police told News Outlet that Ashford was arrested after a traffic stop revealed he had an active warrant tied to the July incident.
Authorities told News Outlet 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.”
