Search Continues for Washington Mother Missing From Her Home
Qwenews.com – Family members are urgently seeking information about Antoinette Forbes, a 53-year-old Washington, DC, woman who vanished from her home nearly a week ago, leaving behind essentials that relatives say she would not normally abandon.
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 anyone with information about her whereabouts to contact investigators.
Police describe Forbes as an Asian woman who is 5 feet 2 inches tall and weighs roughly 115 pounds. She has black hair and brown eyes. What she was wearing when she disappeared is not known.
Personal belongings remained at the house
The circumstances inside Forbes’ home have intensified the concern of those close to her. Her two phones, wallet, laptop and vehicle were left behind. Her dog, Max, was also still at the residence, and the front door was unlocked.
Forbes’ older sister, Aileen Forbes, said the family has been overwhelmed by fear while trying to remain hopeful.
“We’re in absolute shock and horror. We have our own very close-knit immediate family, but we have a very large extended family. We’re horrified.”
The police department has said the case remains an active investigation and has not released further details. Investigators have not publicly discussed whether the home had surveillance cameras, whether any footage was reviewed, or whether nearby video was examined.
For families confronting a disappearance, the absence of ordinary communication can quickly become a source of alarm. In this case, the concern grew because Forbes’ belongings, transportation and dog remained where relatives expected them to be.
A routine call was the last contact
Aileen said the sisters had spoken shortly before Antoinette disappeared, as they regularly did on weekend mornings. During a FaceTime call on Saturday morning, Aileen saw her sister at home with her son. They discussed their weekend plans and the days ahead in what Aileen described as a normal conversation between especially close sisters.
They intended to speak again the following day. That call never happened.
As more time passed without a response, Aileen became increasingly uneasy. She said she realized something was seriously wrong after she tried to tell her sister that she had Covid-19 and received no reply.
“She’s a very busy woman. She’s got a full life. Single mother, highly successful professional.”
Forbes works for Eli Lilly. A spokesperson for the pharmaceutical company said it is supporting police efforts to locate her and urged anyone with useful information to reach out to law enforcement.
“We are deeply concerned for Antoinette and are thinking of her and her family in this uncertain time. We hope for her safe return.”
Friends found the home without Forbes
After several days without contact, Aileen asked family friends Louis and Margarita, who live near Forbes’ home and have a key, to check on her on Labor Day Monday.
Margarita sent Aileen a message after entering the house.
“I think something happened.”
Aileen said the message immediately filled her with dread.
“My heart stopped after I read that text.”
Louis later called and described what they had found: Forbes’ personal and work phones were inside, along with her wallet and laptop. Her car remained in the driveway, and Max was still there. But Forbes herself was gone.
Friends and relatives say they do not believe she chose to leave voluntarily. Elizabeth Northrup, a friend of Forbes who has been helping Aileen during the search, said hospitals were checked and that Forbes had not taken a flight.
“(Law enforcement) certainly checked all the hospitals. We also have had friends check hospitals. She has not flown. She did not walk out of that house and go voluntarily.”
A mother at the center of the search
Above all else, Aileen said, her sister is a devoted parent to her 10-year-old son. She said Antoinette’s son is central to everything in her life and that her sister would not willingly leave him, Max or the family members who depend on her.
“(He) is Antoinette’s life. 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.”
As the investigation continues, the family is asking the public to remain attentive to any detail that could help locate Forbes. Aileen said the wait has become more painful with each passing day, even as she tries to hold onto hope that her sister is alive.
“I am trying really hard not to even conceive of that. Because it would mean that my family is destroyed. 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.”
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