Six weeks after a mother and her newborn child went missing police have issued a fresh appeal to find them.
Officers are still searching for Constance Marten and Mark Gordon despite receiving 350 calls with tips. The couple were travelling in a car which was found on fire on the hard-shoulder of the M61.
The mum - who is from a wealthy land-owning family with links to the Royal Family - disappeared with her newborn baby boy and sex offender partner, Gordon, on January 5th. The pair abandoned their burning vehicle after it broke down near junction 4 of the motorway at Farnworth in Bolton. The car, bought six days earlier, was discovered at 6.33pm that day.
Missing aristocrat Constance may have given birth in the back of the car that was abandoned, M.E.N. sources connected to the investigation say placenta was found in the back seat of the couple's charred vehicle by fire crews. Police reportedly believe the baby was born in the car one or two days before the family went missing.
Serious concerns remain as neither Constance, 35, nor the baby have seen a doctor. The family have no luggage as most of their belongings were destroyed in the fire, but Constance is believed to have access to substantial resources.
Now detectives believe the couple and their baby son could be anywhere in the country and are appealing to the public to report any sightings. It is unknown if the baby was full-term or has any health issues, which is why officers remain committed to finding the family.
The last confirmed sighting of them was at about 6.15am on Sunday, January 8th, when they walked along Cantercrow Hill, in Newhaven, into the fields beyond. However, given the time that has passed they could have moved on some considerable distance since then. While in London they bought a tent and it is believed at some point the family were camping in the Sussex countryside.
Gordon, 48, is a convicted sex offender. His conviction relates to a Florida attack on a woman in her early 20s when he was 14 and he served 20 years in a US jail for rape and battery. Constance's estranged father Napier Martin - who is a former page to the late Queen - has appealed for his daughter to let police know where she is 'as soon as possible'.
Detective Supt Lewis Basford, of the Metropolitian Police, said: "My officers and I remain absolutely committed to finding Constance, Mark and their newborn baby. We’ve been working around the clock behind the scenes and we’ve viewed more than 630 hours of CCTV as part of our efforts to find them.
“Information from the public has been vital to our investigation and we have received more than 350 calls to our dedicated incident room – thank you to everyone who has made contact with us so far, we are so grateful to you.
“While sadly these calls have not yet led to the couple and their baby being found, it could take just that one call into us with the right information, at the right time, to help us find the family and make sure they are okay.
“We are continuing to offer a reward of up to £10,000 for any information that leads to the family being found. So please, if you have information and have not yet come forward or if you think you have seen them, please contact the incident room without delay. Please only call 999 if you are with them or can see them at the time, otherwise call the incident room number.
“They could be absolutely anywhere in the UK, so we need everyone to remain vigilant. When they were last sighted on 8 January they were in the possession of a blue two-man tent, so please keep your eyes peeled, especially while you are out and about in waste ground or beauty spots, or while you’re walking the dog.
“Please be mindful that they might not always be out and about together. It could be that you just see Constance or Mark out by themselves getting supplies while the other is wherever they are staying with the baby.
“I would like to stress that we are not doing this and putting so many resources and efforts into finding the family just to be awkward or to interfere. We have a genuine concern for the health and wellbeing of the baby, and Constance and Mark, and it our duty to ensure that they are okay.”
Anyone who has information on the family’s whereabouts should call the incident room on 020 7175 0785. Alternatively, information can be reported 100 percent anonymously to the independent charity Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111. They never ask for personal details and they do not trace your device.
