Who is Antoinette Forbes? What to know about PR exec missing from DC home as family fears worst, ‘Shock and horror’

A search is underway for a PR executive who mysteriously disappeared from her home without her phone, wallet or car. Antoinette Forbes’ loved ones are worried because they believe the “devoted” single mom “would never leave her son,” per the New York Post.

Who is Antoinette Forbes? PR exec, 53, mysteriously disappears from DC home (@DCPoliceDept/X)Forbes 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.

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“We’re in absolute shock and horror,” Forbes’ older sister, Aileen Forbes, told CNN of their “large extended family.” “We’re horrified.”

Forbes, 53, has been the vice president and head of public affairs at pharmaceutical giant Eli Lilly for the last five years, according to her LinkedIn profile.

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

“(He) is Antoinette’s life,” Aileen said. “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.”

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.

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Aileen said that it is impossible not to fear that her sister is dead.

“I am trying really hard not to even conceive of that … because it would mean that my family is destroyed,” she told CNN. “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.”

Elizabeth Northrup, Forbes’ friend who Aileen is staying with during the investigation, confirmed that police did not find the missing woman at any hospitals. She also said that Forbes had not purchased plane tickets.

Northrop said she does not believe Forbes left her home voluntarily.

“We need to know what happened,” Aileen said. “Someone had to have seen something, anything, some small thing, seen her. We need the evidence that’s going to enable the police to do their jobs and bring Antoinette home.”

Eli Lilly is now supporting police efforts to find her, a spokesperson told CNN.

“She’s a very busy woman. She’s got a full life,” Aileen said. “Single mother, highly successful professional.”

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

Sumanti Sen covers everything that’s happening in the US, from politics to entertainment, but her expertise lies in covering crime news. She has comprehensively chronicled the Idaho student murders, the Laken Riley and Iryna Zarutska cases, and the killing of Charlie Kirk, among other incidents. Over the years, she has interviewed several victims/families of victims of crimes seeking justice. She digs up stories that might otherwise remain unheard, and does her bit to ensure that victims and survivors’ voices are heard. Sumanti’s many years of experience also include interviews with Hamas attack survivors and mental health experts, among others. Her coverage of the October 7 Hamas attack on Israel and interviews with survivors of the tragedy, coupled with her other works including the Titan submersible coverage, earned her the Digi Journo of the Quarter award during her first year at Hindustan Times. Sumanti actively tracks missing person cases in the United States, and peruses Reddit and other social media platforms to bring to light cases that frequently elude public attention. She has extensively covered the disappearances of Nancy Guthrie, Thomas Medlin, Beau Mann, and Sudiksha Konanki, among others. When not at work, you will either find her with her novels, or with her beloved rescue pooches.Read More