Who are Constance Marten and Mark Gordon: Everything we know about couple missing with newborn
The family has been missing for almost two weeks
Your support helps us to tell the story
From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.
At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.
The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.
Your support makes all the difference.Constance Marten and Mark Gordon have been missing now for two weeks with their newborn baby prompting an emotional plea from her aristocrat father.
Napier Marten, a film and music producer, urged his daughter Constance to take herself and the child to safety as soon as possible.
Police are desperately trying to find the mother, her baby and Mark Gordon after their car burst into flames on the M61 in Bolton, Greater Manchester, on 5 January.
Mark Gordon, the partner of Ms Marten, was jailed in the late 1980s in Florida, US, after raping and assaulting a woman when he was 14. After serving a 20-year sentence he was deported back to the UK in 2010, it emerged on Wednesday.
Despite several confirmed sightings in two cities hundreds of miles apart, the trio remain missing, with the police warning they could be anywhere in the UK.
Constance Marten – live: Mother of missing aristocrat’s partner Mark Gordon shares fears for family
Constance Marten: The runaway heiress, her convicted rapist partner and the painful rift at the heart of British aristocracy
Timeline of missing aristocrat daughter’s movements as family with newborn travel 200 miles in a day
It is unclear how Constance and Mark met, but their relationship began in 2016.
Who is Constance Marten?
The Independent revealed that Ms Marten is directly descended from the 3rd and last Baron Allington and once lived in the £34 million Crichel country house in Dorset.
Writing on her Facebook page, the 35-year-old said she enjoys “naked picnics, siestas amid hay bales and tractor scoops.”
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.
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.
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.
Worried friends have spoken out about the formerTatler 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.
Constance, known to friends as "Toots", is understood to have studied Arabic and Middle Eastern Studies at the University of Leeds before completing an NCTJ journalism qualification.
The friend was shocked when she dropped out, adding that she was a “very good actress” and “could have gone far” but lost interest in drama. They claimed that while they were studying together, Constance was in an unstable relationship with a man her classmates had never met.
Who is Mark Gordon?
Born in Birmingham, Mark Gordon, 48, grew up in Florida where he was convicted of attacking and raping a woman in the 1980s at just 14. He served 20 years in prison before being deported to the UK with his mum and half-siblings in 2010. He is a registered sex offender.
Since meeting Constance in 2016 the pair have led a fast pace relationship in which time Constance has been estranged from her family. Police investigating their disappearance say they have been staying in Air BnBs since September and have connections all over the UK in addition to access to a “substantial amount of cash.”
Police have appealed for anyone who has seen the missing couple to come forward urgently.
The pair hailed a taxi to Liverpool before taking another taxi to Harwich in Essex, arriving just after midnight on Friday 6 January.
Police said they were also in Colchester before taking a taxi to East Ham station. This was the location of their last confirmed sighting on Saturday 7 January.
They could now be anywhere in the UK and Ms Marten and Mr Gordon have used scarves and hoodies to disguise themselves to avoid CVTV.
Investigators say the couple appears to know how to evade authorities – making the search for them harder.
More than 100 officers are involved in the investigation and have more than 223 CCTV hours with assistance from the National Crime Agency.
Detective superintendent Basford, leading the investigation, said: “This is a complex investigation with officers from across the Met continuing to work around the clock to find Constance, Mark and their baby.
“There is nothing to suggest that any of them have come to any sort of intentional harm – we just need to ensure they are okay, especially the baby, and do not require any medical assistance for any underlying issues.”
Join our commenting forum
Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies
Comments