Sister of missing DC mom speaks out after ex’s arrest exposes 'horrifying' absusive relationship

The sister of critically missing D.C. mother Antoinette Forbes revealed that she was unaware Antoinette had been in 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, who was detained last week in Pennsylvania, reportedly took unauthorized overnight custody of their son on the night Antoinette was last seen, according to the Montgomery County District Attorney's Office. He also allegedly violated his probation stemming from the 2021 assault case, the office said. Authorities did not name Ashford as a suspect in Antoinette's 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, said in an interview with Fox News Digital.

"I didn't hear about them until I saw some excerpts of the report after my sister went missing."

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Antoinette Forbes smiles during a photo with her sister, Aileen. (Courtesy of the Family and Friends of Antoinette Forbes)

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 Antoinette against the staircase, repeatedly punched her while she was lying on the kitchen floor and banged her head against the ground at least a dozen times until she lost consciousness, according to court filings. 

The assault continued until a neighbor heard her screaming and entered the home to intervene.

After Antoinette was taken to a hospital, tests showed she suffered multiple facial lacerations, multiple fractured facial bones, eye damage, a concussion, a broken finger and bruising, court documents said. Prosecutors said the assault left Antoinette with permanent eye and hand injuries.

After pleading guilty, Ashford was sentenced to 15 years in prison but served only nine months and five years probation upon release, authorities said.

Aileen said the reports came as a shock to her and her family, who are still processing the revelation.

"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. We don't want to, we can't even conceive of it," Aileen said.

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Antoinette Forbes sits alongside her son. (Courtesy of the Family and Friends of Antoinette Forbes)

Aileen noted that Antoinette may have kept the abuse from her family because she was protective of the people she loved.

"Antoinette, she wanted to protect us from it. She did not want us to have any involvement with Russell," Aileen said.

More than two weeks have passed since Antoinette was last seen on Friday, Sept. 4, just one week before she planned to take her son to visit their relatives in California, Aileen said. 

Antoinette was reported missing on Sept. 6 after friends found her dog, car, phone and wallet inside the home, but no sign of her.

Antoinette Forbes poses for a picture while standing in an empty cobblestone street. (Courtesy of the Family and Friends of Antoinette Forbes)

Shortly after her disappearance, Ashford was arrested for allegedly violating his probation, which strictly prohibited him from having hostile contact with Antoinette or their child, amid the concerning circumstances surrounding Antoinette's disappearance, court documents said. 

On July 16, 2026, Ashford reportedly arrived unannounced at his son's summer camp, but staff informed him he was not on the approved pickup list and asked for identification. Ashford allegedly became agitated and forceful with a counselor, prompting staff to file a formal written report about the incident.

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

Authorities told Fox News Digital last week that the search for Antoinette is ongoing and that officials do not have any updates to share with the public.

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Aileen further urged anyone living in the Nebraska Avenue Northwest neighborhood where Antoinette lived to check their security cameras and think back to anything that may have seemed peculiar.

"Just check it, try to jog your memory," Aileen pleaded. "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."

"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."