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

Washington, DC, Family Seeks Answers as Antoinette Forbes Remains Missing

Healfromzero.com – Nearly a week after 53-year-old Antoinette Forbes disappeared from her home in Washington, DC, her family is asking the public to help find her and holding onto hope for her safe return.

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 as investigators continue an active search.

Her relatives and friends say the details surrounding her disappearance have intensified their concern. Forbes’ two phones, wallet, laptop and car were left at her house. Her dog, Max, was also there, and the home’s front door was unlocked.

Forbes is described as an Asian woman standing 5 feet 2 inches tall and weighing about 115 pounds. She has black hair and brown eyes. Police have not identified what she may have been wearing when she vanished, and they have not shared information about her son.

A Close Family Confronts an Unfamiliar Silence

Aileen Forbes, Antoinette’s older sister, said the family has been overwhelmed by the situation. The sisters regularly spoke by phone, especially on weekend mornings, and had a FaceTime call on Saturday morning in which they discussed their plans for the days ahead.

They expected to talk again the following day. That call never came.

As time passed without a response, Aileen’s anxiety grew. She said she became convinced something was seriously wrong when she tried to contact her sister after learning she had Covid-19 and received no reply.

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

The sisters are part of a close immediate family with a large extended family, Aileen said. The uncertainty has been especially painful because Antoinette’s absence is so unlike her normal behavior.

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

Still, she said she is trying not to focus on the bleakest possibilities.

“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.”

Items Left at Home Raised Alarm

After several days without contact, Aileen asked family friends Louis and Margarita, who live near Antoinette’s home and have a key, to check on her. The visit took place on Labor Day, Monday.

Margarita sent Aileen a message after entering the house.

“I think something happened,” the text said.

Aileen said the message immediately filled her with dread.

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

Louis then called to describe the items found inside. Antoinette’s personal and work phones were there, as were her wallet and laptop. Her vehicle remained in the driveway, while Max was still at the residence. Antoinette herself was nowhere to be found.

Elizabeth Northrup, a friend of Forbes who has been helping Aileen during the search, said those circumstances do not suggest an ordinary voluntary departure. Friends have also tried to help check hospitals, while law enforcement has reviewed hospitals as part of its efforts. Northrup said Forbes had not traveled by air.

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

Police have not provided further details about the investigation. They also declined to say whether surveillance cameras were present at the home or whether any footage had been examined.

A Mother, Sister and Public Affairs Executive

Forbes works as associate vice president and head of public affairs at Eli Lilly, an American multinational pharmaceutical company. A company spokesperson said it is supporting police efforts and urged anyone with relevant information to contact authorities.

“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.”

For her family, however, professional accomplishments are only one part of who Antoinette is. Aileen emphasized that her sister’s central role is as the mother of a 10-year-old boy.

“(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 many different circumstances, including people who leave on their own, missing children and victims of crime. The FBI’s Crime Information Center recorded roughly half a million missing-person reports in the United States last year. Each search develops differently, and the available evidence can shape how investigators, families and communities proceed.

Forbes’ family is asking people in the Washington area to stay alert and share any information that could help locate her. Anyone who may have seen Antoinette Forbes or knows something about her whereabouts is urged to contact the Metropolitan Police Department.