Russell Ashford, 65, has been arrested in Pennsylvania for violating his parole by leaving Washington, DC with the son he shares with missing PR executive Antoinette Forbes.
The retired CIA operative was stopped in a traffic stop after license-plate readers tracked his vehicle leaving the capital, Beaver County District Attorney Nate Bible told WPXI. Ashford had been prohibited from contacting either Forbes, 52, or their child under the terms of his probation.
“Ultimately, a parole violation was lodged on him for leaving the state,” Bible said.
The boy was found unharmed in Ashford’s vehicle, though his presence there breached the custody agreement with his mother. “He is safe, and he is unharmed,” Bible added.
Ashford’s legal troubles trace back to a 2021 conviction for assaulting Forbes in their Chevy Chase, Maryland home. Responding officers were told by Ashford himself that “he had just beat up his ex,” according to WTOP. Forbes had suffered fractures to her face and hands along with a concussion, drifting in and out of consciousness when authorities arrived. She informed police the attack stemmed from a dispute over their son’s schooling.
That conviction initially brought a 15-year prison sentence, yet Ashford served only nine months before a judge overturned the guilty verdict this summer. He was placed on probation pending a new judgment; reports did not specify the legal basis for the reversal.
The parole terms explicitly barred Ashford from any contact with Forbes or their son. Beyond the Pennsylvania traffic stop, he allegedly attempted to collect the boy from a summer camp last month, NBC Washington reported.
Forbes vanished from her DC residence on Sept. 4 without her purse, keys, vehicle or dog — circumstances that have left family members deeply alarmed. Her older sister, Aileen Forbes, spoke on Thursday about the woman’s character and the impossibility she would simply walk away from her life.
“Antoinette is a 100% solid, reliable, intelligent, competent woman who is a devoted mother. She would never leave her son,” Aileen Forbes said. “She wouldn’t leave her dog. She wouldn’t leave her sister who needs her.”
Aileen Forbes also indicated her sister’s home is being treated as an active crime scene. She acknowledged the fear that Antoinette may be dead, calling such worry unavoidable given the circumstances.
The DC Metropolitan Police Department offered no new developments Tuesday morning. “We understand the sense of urgency surrounding this case, but at this present time, we do not have any new details to release,” a spokesperson said. “This investigation remains a priority for our department, as all missing person cases are. This case remains an active and ongoing investigation with the Metropolitan Police Department. We will share additional information as it becomes available to us.”
Forbes serves as vice president and head of public affairs at Eli Lilly, the pharmaceutical giant confirmed via her LinkedIn profile. A company spokesperson said Eli Lilly is supporting police efforts to locate her.
Ashford has not been designated a suspect in Forbes’ disappearance.