A new name has emerged amid an ongoing search for PR executive Antoinette Forbes, who mysteriously disappeared from her home without her phone, wallet or car.

Published on: Sep 14, 2026, 15:41:22 IST

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A new name has emerged amid an ongoing search for PR executive Antoinette Forbes, who mysteriously disappeared from her home without her phone, wallet or car. Russell Ashford – a man with the same name and date of birth as the father of her child – has been taken into custody in Beaver County, Pennsylvania, officials said.

Who is Russell Ashford?

Not much has been revealed about Ashford. Beaver County Jail officials confirmed that Ashford is in their custody.

Ashford has not been publicly identified by D.C. police as a suspect or person of interest. Police have also not revealed whether the Pennsylvania arrest is connected to Forbes’ disappearance.

Forbes, 53, was last seen Friday afternoon, September 4, at her home in Washington, DC, a day before she FaceTimed her sisters about plans to get together in Florida to visit their mother for the holidays. They became concerned when she failed to respond to a planned catch-up online Sunday, September 6. The front door of her home was found unlocked with all of important personal items and her dog, Max, inside.

Forbes’ older sister, Aileen Forbes, said that the mom showed no signs of trouble, and would never up and leave her 10-year-old son.

According to Fox News, DC’s Metropolitan Police Department has classified the hunt as a critically missing person. Her home is being treated as an active crime scene, according to Aileen.

Antoinette Forbes’ family speaks out

Forbes’ family has not commented on Ashford’s arrest. However, they shared a statement with 7News.

“Antoinette has been missing since Saturday, September 5. She is a mother, a sister and a friend, and she would not walk away from her son by choice,” they said. “Last night Antoinette's friends and colleagues stood beside each other at National Presbyterian Church. The candles, the prayers, the GoFundMe, the flyers going up across the city, all of it is carrying the family forward right now. Thank you.”

The family added, “We are asking you not to stop. If you were near the 3200 block of Nebraska Avenue NW the weekend of September 4, if you saw Antoinette, if you have doorbell or dashcam footage from those days, please call the Metropolitan Police Department at 202-727-9099 or text 50411. No detail is too small to share. We want Antoinette home.”

Police described Forbes as an Asian woman who is 5-foot-2 with black hair and brown eyes.

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