Washington, DC, family searches for missing mother after personal belongings were left at home
Goldlaner.com – Family members and friends are urgently seeking information about Antoinette Forbes, a 53-year-old Washington, DC, woman who has been missing for nearly a week under circumstances they describe as deeply troubling.
Forbes was last seen in person on Friday, September 4, in the 3200 block of Nebraska Avenue NW. The Metropolitan Police Department has issued a missing-person poster and is asking the public to help locate her.
Her disappearance has alarmed those closest to her because essential belongings remained at her home. Her two phones, wallet, laptop and car were left behind, as was her dog, Max. The home’s front door was unlocked, family and friends said.
A close family fears something is wrong
Forbes is a single mother of a 10-year-old boy and is described by her older sister, Aileen Forbes, as a dependable, devoted parent with a busy professional life. Police have not released information about her son.
Aileen Forbes said the family has been shaken by the sudden loss of contact with a woman who was normally closely connected with them.
“We’re in absolute shock and horror,” Forbes’ older sister, Aileen Forbes, said. “We have our own very close-knit immediate family, but we have a very large extended family. We’re horrified.”
The sisters regularly spoke by phone on weekend mornings. Aileen said she FaceTimed Antoinette on Saturday morning, and the pair discussed their plans for the weekend and the days ahead. They expected to speak again the next day, but that call never came.
As more time passed without a reply, concern intensified. Aileen said she became especially worried when she attempted to tell her sister that she had Covid-19 and received no response.
“She’s a very busy woman. She’s got a full life,” Aileen said. “Single mother, highly successful professional.”
Forbes works as associate vice president and head of public affairs at Eli Lilly, an American multinational pharmaceutical company, as listed on her LinkedIn profile. A company spokesperson said Eli Lilly is supporting efforts to locate her and urged anyone with relevant information to contact police.
“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 find phones, vehicle and dog at the house
After several days without hearing from her, Aileen contacted family friends Louis and Margarita, who live near Forbes’ home and have a key. On Monday, Labor Day, they went to check on her.
Margarita sent Aileen a brief message after entering the residence.
“I think something happened,” the message said.
Aileen said the message immediately filled her with dread.
“My heart stopped after I read that text,” she said.
Louis then called to explain what was inside the house. Forbes’ work phone and personal phone were there, along with her wallet and laptop. Her car remained in the driveway, while Max was still at the home. Forbes herself was gone.
Friends and family do not believe she left voluntarily. Elizabeth Northrup, a friend of Forbes who is hosting Aileen while the search continues, said they have sought answers through every available avenue.
“(Law enforcement) certainly checked all the hospitals. We also have had friends check hospitals. She has not flown,” Northrup said. “She did not walk out of that house and go voluntarily.”
Police say the investigation remains active but have not shared additional details. Authorities also declined to discuss whether the home had surveillance cameras or whether any footage had been examined.
What is known about Antoinette Forbes
Police describe Forbes as an Asian woman standing 5 feet 2 inches tall and weighing about 115 pounds. She has black hair and brown eyes. What she may have been wearing when she disappeared is not known.
Her sister emphasized that the absence is out of character. Beyond her professional responsibilities, Aileen said Antoinette’s life centers on her child, her dog and the people she loves.
“(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.”
Aileen said she is trying to hold onto the belief that her sister is alive, despite the fear felt across their family.
“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 missing-person case with urgent unanswered questions
Nearly half a million people were reported missing in the United States last year, a figure that includes people who leave voluntarily, missing children, kidnapping victims and others. Each case unfolds differently, and decisions about search efforts can vary based on the information available to investigators.
For the people searching for Forbes, the belongings left behind have made the need for answers especially urgent. Her family is asking anyone who may have seen her or knows something that could help identify her whereabouts to contact the Metropolitan Police Department.
As the search continues, those closest to Antoinette Forbes are focused on one hope: that the mother, sister, colleague and dog owner they know as reliable and caring can be brought home safely.
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