Investigators returned to the Washington, D.C., home of missing woman Antoinette Forbes on Wednesday and removed several bags of evidence as the search for the 53-year-old continued.
The renewed activity came as Forbes’s former partner, Russell Ashford, was due to appear at an extradition hearing in Beaver County, Pennsylvania, over an alleged probation violation. Ashford was arrested during a traffic stop in Brighton Township on Saturday and is being held on a warrant linked to Montgomery County, Maryland.
Ashford has not been charged in connection with Forbes’s disappearance, and police have not publicly identified him as a suspect in the case.
Forbes was last seen at about 3pm on Friday, September 4, in the 3200 block of Nebraska Avenue Northwest, near American University. Her dog, wallet, phone, keys and car were left at the property, according to people close to her.
Her home has been guarded by a Metropolitan Police Department cruiser for several days while detectives investigate. Police activity at the address intensified last week, with investigators photographing the property and examining the vehicle.
On Wednesday afternoon, crime-scene investigators were seen returning to the house before carrying away the bags. The significance of the material has not been disclosed.
Search for Antoinette Forbes continues
Forbes’s friends and relatives have said they do not believe she would have voluntarily left her 10-year-old son. Longtime friend Holly Wetzel said the family was “saddened” and “worried”, but determined to continue publicising the case.
“We are struggling honestly, but we are resolute in our continuing to work hard to help find her, getting the word out, reminding everyone about her and the person that she was,” Ms Wetzel said.
Police describe Forbes as an Asian woman, 5ft 2in tall and weighing about 115lb, with black hair and brown eyes. Her clothing at the time she disappeared is not known.
Her sister, Aileen Forbes, previously said the pair had spoken by FaceTime on the morning after Forbes was last seen and that nothing appeared unusual. A friend later went to the property after Forbes failed to respond and found her belongings, vehicle and dog still there.
Investigators have asked residents to check doorbell and security-camera footage recorded between Friday, September 4, and Monday, September 7, particularly around American University and the surrounding areas.
The investigation has also drawn attention to Ashford’s previous conviction for assaulting Forbes at their Maryland home in 2021. Court records show he was initially sentenced to 15 years in prison, with all but nine months suspended, before the conviction was later set aside and he was placed on probation.
The couple’s son was found with Ashford in Pennsylvania in July, which allegedly breached a custody order prohibiting overnight visits. The circumstances of that alleged violation form the basis of the warrant under which Ashford was detained.
Shortly before Wednesday’s scheduled hearing, Pennsylvania State Police also filed separate charges alleging illegal possession of a firearm, according to local reports. The impact of those charges on the extradition proceedings was not immediately clear.
Anyone with information about Forbes’s whereabouts is asked to contact the Metropolitan Police Department on 202-727-9099 or by text on 50411.
