Russell Ashford, the ex-partner of missing public relations executive Antoinette Forbes, has been arrested in Pennsylvania for violating his parole. Ashford, 65, was apprehended after license-plate readers tracked him driving from Washington, D.C., where Forbes lived with their son.
Beaver County District Attorney Nate Bible stated that a parole violation was lodged against Ashford for leaving the state. Forbes' son was found with his father, a violation of his custody agreement with Forbes, who disappeared from her D.C. home on September 4. The child was reported to be safe and unharmed.
Ashford has not been named a suspect in Forbes' disappearance. Forbes, 52, is the vice president and head of public affairs at pharmaceutical company Eli Lilly. She vanished from her home without her purse, keys, car, or dog. Forbes was last seen at her home on Sept. 4, and last spoke with family members on Sept. 5. Her home is being treated as an active crime scene.
In 2021, Ashford was convicted of assaulting Forbes in their Chevy Chase, Maryland, home. He had reportedly told responding officers that he had assaulted his ex. Forbes was found with fractures to her face and hands and a concussion, telling police she was attacked during an argument over their son's schooling. Ashford was initially sentenced to 15 years in prison but served only nine months before a judge overturned the guilty verdict. He was placed on probation awaiting a new judgment. His probation prohibited contact with Forbes or their son.
Authorities noted that Ashford had allegedly attempted to pick up their son from summer camp last month, an action that also violated his probation terms. Forbes' sister, Aileen Forbes, told CNN that her sister is a "solid, reliable, intelligent, competent woman who is a devoted mother" and would never abandon her son, dog, or family. The DC Metropolitan Police Department stated that the investigation remains a priority and that they would release further information as it becomes available.