Mystery Surrounds Missing PR Exec: What Happened to Antoinette Forbes?

A successful PR exec mysteriously vanished from home without her phone, wallet or car — with her loved ones fearing the worst because the “devoted” single mom “would never leave her son.”

Antoinette Forbes, the vice president and head of public affairs at pharmaceutical giant Eli Lilly, was last seen Friday afternoon at her home in Washington, DC, a day before she excitedly FaceTimed her sisters about plans to all get together in Florida to visit their mom for the holidays.

They were alarmed when she failed to respond to a planned catch-up online Sunday — and the frotn door of her home was found unlocked with all of her key personal items and her dog, Max, inside.

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

“We’re horrified.”

The 53-year-old mom showed no signs of trouble, and would never up and leave her 10-year-old son, the sister said.

“(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.”

DC’s Metropolitan Police Department has classified the hunt as a critically missing person, Fox News reported. 

The missing mom’s home is also being treated as an active crime scene, according to Aileen — who said it’s impossible not to fear 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, said police did not find Antoinette at any hospitals and confirmed she had not purchased plane tickets. 

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

“We need to know what happened,” Aileen told CNN. “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.”

Forbes has for the last five years worked as the vice President and head of public affairs at Eli Lilly, an American multinational pharmaceutical company, according to her LinkedIn profiel.

The company is 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.”

Antoinette was described by police as an Asian woman who is 5-foot-2 with black hair and brown eyes.