£10,000 reward offered in hunt for missing aristocrat who disappeared with her newborn baby and boyfriend

Detectives hunting a missing aristocrat who disappeared with her partner and their newborn baby have offered a £10,000 reward for information.
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Constance Marten, 35 – who is from a wealthy family with connections to the royals – has lived an isolated life with her boyfriend Mark Gordon, 48, since they met in 2016.

Mr Gordon, who is a British citizen and moved to Florida as a teen, is believed to have served a 24-year jail sentence for kidnap and sexual battery at the age of 15.

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The couple and their newborn went missing in early January and none of them have had any medical attention since then.

Constance Marten, 35, and her boyfriend Mark Gordon, 48Constance Marten, 35, and her boyfriend Mark Gordon, 48
Constance Marten, 35, and her boyfriend Mark Gordon, 48

The family have been sleeping rough in freezing temperatures as they try to avoid being found.

On Tuesday, the Metropolitan Police revealed details of the reward and of the latest sighting of the family in Newhaven, East Sussex, on Sunday, January 8.

Investigators say they took a taxi from Haringey in north London shortly before 1.30am and were dropped at the entrance to the port at 4.56am.

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Police do not believe they took a ferry and instead remain somewhere in the UK.

CCTV image of Mark Gordon and Constance Marten walking through Flower and Dean Walk near Brick Lane, east London (Credit: PA/ Metropolitan Police)CCTV image of Mark Gordon and Constance Marten walking through Flower and Dean Walk near Brick Lane, east London (Credit: PA/ Metropolitan Police)
CCTV image of Mark Gordon and Constance Marten walking through Flower and Dean Walk near Brick Lane, east London (Credit: PA/ Metropolitan Police)

The baby was alive but detectives are concerned for its welfare.

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Det Supt Lewis Basford, who is leading the investigation, said: “We continue to be extremely concerned about the health and wellbeing of the newborn baby, which has had no medical care and has been on the move, and possibly exposed to sub-zero temperatures, for almost a month now.

“We’re also concerned for the welfare of Constance and Mark, because our inquiries suggest that they were constantly moving and awake for at least a few days – which must be especially draining on someone who had recently given birth with no medical attention.

There have been occasional sightings since their disappearance, with the pair concealing their faces to avoid CCTV cameras (Credit: Metropolitan Police/ PA)There have been occasional sightings since their disappearance, with the pair concealing their faces to avoid CCTV cameras (Credit: Metropolitan Police/ PA)
There have been occasional sightings since their disappearance, with the pair concealing their faces to avoid CCTV cameras (Credit: Metropolitan Police/ PA)
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“Finding the baby is our top priority and we are now offering a £10,000 reward to anyone who provides information which leads to them being found.

In September last year, the couple began moving around different Airbnb rentals in what may have been a bid to hide Miss Marten’s pregnancy.

The police search for the family was sparked when officers were called to a burning car on the M61 in Bolton, Greater Manchester, on January 5.

It emerged that the couple had abandoned the car when it broke down and took a taxi to Liverpool, and from there to Harwich in Essex.

The police search for the family was sparked when officers were called to a burning car on the M61 in Bolton (Credit: Metropolitan Police/ PA)The police search for the family was sparked when officers were called to a burning car on the M61 in Bolton (Credit: Metropolitan Police/ PA)
The police search for the family was sparked when officers were called to a burning car on the M61 in Bolton (Credit: Metropolitan Police/ PA)
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Since then they have been seen in east London, before travelling to north London and then on to Newhaven.

In east London they bought camping gear and had a pram, but dumped the buggy in Flower and Dean Walk near Brick Lane shortly before midnight on Saturday January 7.

Mr Basford added: “We have no evidence to suggest that they boarded a ferry in Newhaven, and we still strongly believe that they remain here in the UK – although they could be anywhere. Our inquiries also establish that the baby was alive and with them when they got the taxi to Newhaven.

“We know they were still in possession of camping equipment on Sunday January 8 and so I’d encourage people to remain vigilant and keep a look out for a blue tent.

“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, and report any information to us.”

Anyone who has information can call police on 020 7175 0785, or contact Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111 or online.