Just days later, Forbes’ naked and charred remains were found at Gerritsen Creek in Brooklyn, New York.
An investigation led to Ferdinand’s arrest in Maine, about four months after Forbes’ murder.
He was charged with homicide.
Ferdinand initially denied killing the teen, but when investigators showed him phone records and other evidence linking him to the murder, he confessed.
He told police he met Forbes through Facebook, and the pair began a sexual relationship, which led to an unwanted pregnancy.
When Forbes refused to get an abortion, Ferdinand supposedly became angry.
Ferdinand, who was 20 at the time, admitted to police he smothered her to death with a pillow at his cousin’s apartment before spraying her with Axe body spray and setting her on fire.
Watch the Latest on our YouTube ChannelFerdinand kept Forbes’ body in a suitcase for two days before discarding it in a creek.
However, an autopsy revealed that Forbes was not pregnant at the time of her death.
While in Brooklyn Federal Court, relatives questioned why Ferdinand didn’t purchase a pregnancy test for Forbes to find out if she was actually pregnant.
Sandra Price stated that although she knew her daughter was dating, she had no knowledge of Forbes dating a 20-year-old man.
Kerri Ann Thomas said if she knew her teen cousin was dating an adult, she would have put an end to it.
In 2015, a jury found Ferdinand guilty of murdering Forbes.
He was sentenced to 29 years in prison.
Grave Mysteries — Deadly Connections, airs at 9:00 p.m. on Investigation Discovery.