Sister of Missing DC Mom Speaks Out After Ex's Arrest

The sister of Antoinette Forbes, a D.C. mother who has been critically missing, has spoken out, revealing that the family was unaware of an abusive relationship until details of a 2021 assault surfaced following the arrest of the father of her 10-year-old son.

Russell Ashford, 65, was detained last week in Pennsylvania. Authorities stated that Ashford reportedly took unauthorized overnight custody of their son on the night Forbes was last seen, according to the Montgomery County District Attorney's Office. He also allegedly violated his probation stemming from the 2021 assault case. Officials have not named Ashford as a suspect in Forbes' 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 Fox News Digital. "I didn't hear about them until I saw some excerpts of the report after my sister went missing."

According to Maryland court filings, Ashford pleaded guilty to first-degree assault in 2021. During an argument over their child's schooling, Ashford allegedly threw Forbes against a staircase, repeatedly punched her while she was on the kitchen floor, and banged her head against the ground until she lost consciousness. The assault continued until a neighbor intervened.

After Forbes was taken to a hospital, tests revealed she suffered multiple facial lacerations, fractured facial bones, eye damage, a concussion, a broken finger, and bruising. Prosecutors indicated the assault left her with permanent eye and hand injuries. Ashford was sentenced to 15 years in prison but served only nine months, followed by five years of probation upon release.

Aileen described the reports as a shock to her and her family. "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," she said.

Forbes may have kept the abuse from her family because she was protective, Aileen suggested. "Antoinette, she wanted to protect us from it. She did not want us to have any involvement with Russell."

More than two weeks have passed since Forbes was last seen on Friday, Sept. 4, one week before she planned to take her son to visit relatives in California. She was reported missing on Sept. 6 after friends found her dog, car, phone, and wallet inside her home, but no sign of her.

Shortly after her disappearance, Ashford was arrested for allegedly violating his probation, which prohibited hostile contact with Forbes or their child amid the circumstances of her disappearance. On July 16, 2026, Ashford reportedly arrived unannounced at his son's summer camp. Staff informed him he was not on the approved pickup list and requested identification. Ashford allegedly became agitated and forceful with a counselor, prompting staff to file a formal report.

Pennsylvania State Police told Fox News Digital that Ashford was arrested after a traffic stop revealed an active warrant tied to the July incident.

Authorities stated last week that the search for Antoinette Forbes is ongoing, and they have no updates to share with the public.

Aileen urged anyone in the Nebraska Avenue Northwest neighborhood where Forbes lived to check their security cameras and recall any unusual details. "Just check it, try to jog your memory. 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," she pleaded.

She also expressed gratitude to those following the case. "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."