Constance Marten – live: Napier Marten, missing aristocrat’s father, issues heartfelt plea
A man missing with his partner and their newborn baby has been revealed to be a convicted rapist who served 20 years in prison.
Mark Gordon went missing with aristocrat’s daughter Constance Marten and their newborn baby on 5 January, after leaving their broken-down vehicle on the M61 near Bolton.
Gordon, 48, was jailed in the late 1980s in the US after raping and assaulting a woman in her early 20s when he was 14 years-old.
The state of Florida convicted him when he was 16 and he served a 20-year sentence before being deported back to the UK in 2010.
Police are appealing to the public to help find the family, who they said “could be anywhere in the UK”. The baby is believed to have been one to two days old at the time the family disappeared.
Key Points
Mark Gordon spent 20 years in US jail for rape
Couple knows how to dodge police, says Met
Constance Marten was ‘promising actress’ and featured in Tatler magazine
Couple missing with baby ‘have cash to stay off-grid’
07:15 , Shweta Sharma
A couple missing for 11 days with their newborn have a substantial amount of cash, allowing them to live off-grid, police have said.
Constance Marten, Mark Gordon and their baby have no luggage with them after most of their belongings were destroyed in a car fire, and are using cash to pay for taxis and places to stay.
Ms Marten comes from a wealthy aristocratic family, while Mr Gordon is a sex offender who served 20 years in US jail for rape and battery.
Police are worried for the newborn and say neither Ms Marten nor the baby have had medical attention since the birth.
Investigators said it is unusual for hotels to accept cash payments and appealed to staff at hotels or hostels where the couple may stay to come forward.
Mother missing with partner and newborn ‘spotted 200 miles from where they vanished’
06:30 , Shweta Sharma
A mother who has disappeared with her newborn baby and partner may have been spotted twice at sites more than 200 miles away from where they went missing three days ago, police say.
Greater Manchester Police (GMP) believe Constance Marten may have been seen in Essex, firstly near to Harwich Port on Saturday at 9am and then in Colchester around an hour later.
Ms Marten, Mark Gordon and the child have been missing since their vehicle broke down near junction four of the M61, near Bolton, on Thursday evening.
Mother missing with partner and newborn ‘spotted 200 miles from where they vanished’
Man missing with aristocrat’s daughter and their newborn is convicted rapist
06:00 , Liam James
The partner of a woman missing with a newborn baby is a convicted rapist who served 20 years in prison (Thomas Kingsley writes).
Mark Gordon and aristocrat’s daughter Constance Marten went missing with their newborn baby on 5 January, when they left their broken-down car on the M61 near Bolton. Police were alerted to the vehicle when it caught fire, destroying most of their possessions.
The Metropolitan Police has released a fresh appeal in the “high risk” search as officers fear the family could be anywhere in the UK.
Gordon is a registered sex offender who was jailed in the late 1980s in the US, after raping and assaulting a woman in her early twenties when he was 14 years old. He was put behind bars in Florida when he was 16 and served a 20-year sentence before being deported back to the UK in 2010.
The Independent previously revealed that Ms Marten is the granddaughter of Mary Anna Marten, a British Museum trustee whose godmother was the late Queen Mother, and who used to own the Crichel estate in Dorset.
Man missing with aristocrat’s daughter and newborn is convicted rapist
CCTV image released in search for missing couple with newborn baby
05:30 , Shweta Sharma
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Police searching for a missing couple and their newborn baby have released a CCTV image that is believed to be of the mother amid fears for their safety.
Greater Manchester Police (GMP) are appealing for Constance Marten to make contact and seek medical assistance.
Ms Marten, Mark Gordon and their child have been missing since their vehicle broke down near junction four of the M61, near Bolton, on Thursday.
CCTV image released in search for missing couple with newborn baby
Constance Marten was ‘promising actress’ and featured in Tatler magazine
05:00 , Liam James
Constance Marten was ‘promising actress’ and featured in Tatler magazine
A mother who is missing with her newborn baby and partner was a “talented actress”, according to friends (Thomas Kingsley writes).
The mother and baby belong to an aristocratic household that once possessed a sprawling country estate with links to the royal family, as revealed by The Independent.
As concern for the family grows, worried friends have spoken out about the former Tatler magazine babe of the month who enrolled at East 15 drama school in Essex before dropping out in 2016. Speaking to The Sunday Times, a former friend revealed that she had been a promising actress in her youth.
Mother missing with newborn baby was ‘talented actress’ and featured in Tatler
Mother missing with newborn baby is part of aristocratic family with links to the Queen Mother
04:30 , Shweta Sharma
A mother missing with her partner and newborn baby belongs to an aristocratic family which used to own a sprawling country estate and has close links to the royal family.
Constance Marten, 35, is the granddaughter of Mary Anna Marten, a British Museum trustee whose godmother was the late Queen Mother, and who used to own the Crichel estate in Dorset.
Ms Marten, her partner Mark Gordon and their child were last seen on Thursday evening after their car broke down on the M61 motorway, at which point they left the road safely and walked towards Anchor Lane bridge, near Bolton.
Mother missing with newborn baby belongs to aristocratic family with royal links
Search for Constance Marten involves 200 police officers
04:00 , Liam James
More than 200 police officers are involved in the search for Constance Marten, her partner Mark Gordon and their newborn child.
Metropolitan Police said officers had scoured more than 200 hours of CCTV footage so far.
The missing couple appear to know how to evade authorities, making the search more difficult, police said.
It recently emerged that Mr Gordon is a convicted rapist who had been jailed in the US.
The last confirmed sighting of the pair was on 7 January, two days after their disappearance, on CCTV at London’s East Ham station.
Newborn hasn’t been seen by doctor in weeks, say police in latest appeal
03:00 , Liam James
Police have stressed that Constance Marten and Mark Gordon’s newborn child has not been seen by a doctor in weeks, as officer issued their latest appeal for the missing family.
Metropolitan Police’s Detective Superintendent Lewis Basford, who is leading the investigation, said: “It has now almost been two weeks since Mark and Constance’s car broke down on the M61 near Bolton and they have been on the move all that time with a newborn baby.
“As far as we are aware, neither Constance nor the baby have received medical attention since it was born. Our priority is to ensure the baby, and indeed both Constance and Mark, are safe and well.
“Once again, I appeal directly to you Constance and Mark. Please do the right thing for your baby and get in touch with us so that we know that you are all doing okay.”
DS Basford said the couple were last seen more than one week ago in East Ham in the London Borough of Newham.
Couple know how to avoid authorities, say police
02:00 , Liam James
Police investigating the disappearance of Constance Marten, Mark Gordon and their newborn baby said the couple appears to know how to evade authorities, making the search harder.
Officers believe they could be anywhere in the UK and are appealing to the public to come forward with any information that may help find them.
Investigators said it is unusual for hotels to accept cash payments and appealed to staff at hotels or hostels where the couple may stay to come forward.
Newborn hasn’t been seen by doctor in weeks, say police in latest appeal
01:00 , Liam James
Police have stressed that Constance Marten and Mark Gordon’s newborn child has not been seen by a doctor in weeks, as officer issued their latest appeal for the missing family.
Metropolitan Police’s Detective Superintendent Lewis Basford, who is leading the investigation, said: “It has now almost been two weeks since Mark and Constance’s car broke down on the M61 near Bolton and they have been on the move all that time with a newborn baby.
“As far as we are aware, neither Constance nor the baby have received medical attention since it was born. Our priority is to ensure the baby, and indeed both Constance and Mark, are safe and well.
“Once again, I appeal directly to you Constance and Mark. Please do the right thing for your baby and get in touch with us so that we know that you are all doing okay.”
DS Basford said the couple were last seen more than one week ago in East Ham in the London Borough of Newham.
Constance Marten and partner have cash to live on, say police
00:00 , Liam James
Constance Marten and Mark Gordon have a substantial amount of cash, allowing them to live off-grid, police have said.
The aristocrat’s daughter, the convicted rapist and their baby had no luggage with them after most of their belongings were destroyed in a car fire, and are using cash to pay for taxis and places to stay.
The couple are understood to have lived an isolated life since meeting in 2016, with then-drama student Ms Marten cutting off ties with family and friends.
Last September, they began moving around the country, renting AirBnBs for brief periods before going missing after abandoning their car on 5 January.
Constance Marten: Couple’s known steps since disappearance
Wednesday 18 January 2023 22:50 , Liam James
Constance Marten and Mark Gordon have been missing with their newborn baby since 5 January.
The pair abandoned their car at the side of the M61 near Bolton after it caught fire. They walked to Anchor Lane bridge and hailed a taxi to Liverpool before taking another taxi to Harwich in Essex arriving just after midnight on Friday 6 January.
They were spotted in Colchester and further inquiries revealed they took a taxi to East Ham station, where they were seen on Saturday 7 January between 10.30am and 12.30pm.
The east London station was where they were last confirmed to have been seen.
Marten ‘lost touch’ after school, says friend
Wednesday 18 January 2023 21:35 , Liam James
A woman who says she was friends with Constance Marten at drama school said the aristocrat’s daughter lost touch in an out of character way.
“I tried to contact her several times,” the friend told The Sunday Times. “On Facebook, and on my phone, but she never replied. It was very unlike her. I was very upset after it.”
A former classmate from the East 15 drama school told the paper Ms Marten was a promising actress at school.
“She was just beautiful, full of life, full of kindness ... and she was very, very talented. Just a stunning person inside and out. I was kind of bowled over by her really,” they said.
Constance Marten: The ‘It’ girls aristocrat links
Wednesday 18 January 2023 20:20 , Liam James
Andy Gregory walks through the roots of Constance Marten, the aristocrat’s daughter missing with her child:
Constance Marten, 35, is the granddaughter of Mary Anna Marten, a British Museum trustee whose godmother was the late Queen Mother, and who used to own the Crichel estate in Dorset.
Her grandparents were Toby Marten, a Lieutenant Commander in the Royal Navy, and his wife Mary Anna, who had close links to the royal family, attending the Brownies pack at Buckingham Palace alongside Princess Margaret in her youth.
A notable archaeologist, Ms Marten was awarded an OBE in 1980 and appointed High Sheriff of Dorset nine years later. She was also made a trustee of the British Museum and travelled widely in aid of her profession, making frequent trips to Iran and 30 visits to Russia.
The late couple and their family lived at the vast Crichel House – used as the backdrop for several period dramas, including Emma starring Gwyneth Paltrow – the ownership of which in the wake of the Second World War became the centre of a notorious political scandal.
They were survived by five daughters and one son, Napier Marten, who was a Page to Queen Elizabeth II. In 1996 he took a voyage of spiritual discovery in Australia, later returning to work as a tree surgeon near Crichel House.
Search for Constance Marten involves 200 police officers
Wednesday 18 January 2023 19:40 , Liam James
More than 200 police officers are involved in the search for Constance Marten, her partner Mark Gordon and their newborn child.
Metropolitan Police said officers had scoured more than 200 hours of CCTV footage so far.
The missing couple appear to know how to evade authorities, making the search more difficult, police said.
It recently emerged that Mr Gordon is a convicted rapist who had been jailed in the US.
The last confirmed sighting of the pair was on 7 January, two days after their disappearance, on CCTV at London’s East Ham station.
Constance Marten was ‘promising actress’ and featured in Tatler magazine
Wednesday 18 January 2023 18:51 , Liam James
A mother who is missing with her newborn baby and partner was a “talented actress”, according to friends (Thomas Kingsley writes).
The mother and baby belong to an aristocratic household that once possessed a sprawling country estate with links to the royal family, as revealed by The Independent.
As concern for the family grows, worried friends have spoken out about the former Tatler magazine babe of the month who enrolled at East 15 drama school in Essex before dropping out in 2016. Speaking to The Sunday Times, a former friend revealed that she had been a promising actress in her youth.
Mother missing with newborn baby was ‘talented actress’ and featured in Tatler
Couple know how to avoid authorities, say police
Wednesday 18 January 2023 17:05 , Liam James
Police investigating the disappearance of Constance Marten, Mark Gordon and their newborn baby said the couple appears to know how to evade authorities, making the search harder.
Officers believe they could be anywhere in the UK and are appealing to the public to come forward with any information that may help find them.
Investigators said it is unusual for hotels to accept cash payments and appealed to staff at hotels or hostels where the couple may stay to come forward.
Newborn hasn’t been seen by doctor in weeks, say police in latest appeal
Wednesday 18 January 2023 16:36 , Liam James
Police have stressed that Constance Marten and Mark Gordon’s newborn child has not been seen by a doctor in weeks, as officer issued their latest appeal for the missing family.
Metropolitan Police’s Detective Superintendent Lewis Basford, who is leading the investigation, said: “It has now almost been two weeks since Mark and Constance’s car broke down on the M61 near Bolton and they have been on the move all that time with a newborn baby.
“As far as we are aware, neither Constance nor the baby have received medical attention since it was born. Our priority is to ensure the baby, and indeed both Constance and Mark, are safe and well.
“Once again, I appeal directly to you Constance and Mark. Please do the right thing for your baby and get in touch with us so that we know that you are all doing okay.”
DS Basford said the couple were last seen more than one week ago in East Ham in the London Borough of Newham.
Constance Marten and partner have cash to live on, say police
Wednesday 18 January 2023 16:13 , Liam James
Constance Marten and Mark Gordon have a substantial amount of cash, allowing them to live off-grid, police have said.
The aristocrat’s daughter, the convicted rapist and their baby had no luggage with them after most of their belongings were destroyed in a car fire, and are using cash to pay for taxis and places to stay.
The couple are understood to have lived an isolated life since meeting in 2016, with then-drama student Ms Marten cutting off ties with family and friends.
Last September, they began moving around the country, renting AirBnBs for brief periods before going missing after abandoning their car on 5 January.
Man missing with aristocrat’s daughter and their newborn is convicted rapist
Wednesday 18 January 2023 15:54 , Liam James
The partner of a mother missing with a newborn baby is a convicted rapist who served 20 years in prison (Thomas Kingsley writes).
Mark Gordon and aristocrat’s daughter Constance Marten went missing with their newborn baby on 5 January, when they left their broken-down vehicle on the M61 near Bolton.
The Metropolitan Police has released a fresh appeal in the “high risk” search as officers fear the trio could be “anywhere in the UK”.
Man missing with aristocrat’s daughter and newborn is convicted rapist
