18 January 2023 , 19:16
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A couple who have been missing for 11 days with their newborn baby have a substantial amount of cash which is 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, according to officers.
Ms Marten comes from a wealthy aristocratic family while Mr Gordon is a sex offender who served 20 years in the US having been jailed in 1990 for raping a woman, after burgling her home in Florida when he was just 14. He was deported to the UK in 2010 and placed on the Sex Offenders Register.
Police are worried for the newborn and say neither Ms Marten nor the baby have had medical attention since the birth. Ms Marten is understood to have given birth only a day or two before the couple disappeared.
The couple are understood to have lived an isolated life since meeting in 2016, with Ms Marten, who was a drama student at the time, cutting off ties with family and friends.
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The woman grew up in Crichel House, a Dorset estate, as part of an eminent family, one of England’s most prominent aristocratic households, who had links to the Royals.
Constance Marten's family has links to Royals (PA)
Mark Gordon is a sex offender (PA)According to the Sunday Times, her grandmother was a playmate of Princess Margaret, while her father Napier Marten was a page to Queen Elizabeth before later giving up the family's £115million fortune..
Ms Marten, 35, is the granddaughter of archaeologist Mary Anna Marten, whose godmother was the late Queen Mother, it has emerged.
Mary and husband Lt. Cdr George's wedding was attended by the then-King George VI alongside the Queen Mother and Princess Margaret.
The aristocrats were also involved in the Crichel Down Affair after their Dorset home and grounds were bought by Winston Churchill's government for military use during WWII, then failed to sell it back to the family.
The family reportedly put the Dorset estate on the market in 2010 for £100million, before its sale to an American buyer.
Last September, Ms Marten and Mr Gordon began moving around the country, renting Airbnbs for brief periods.
On January 5, the couple were on the M61 when the car they had bought just six days earlier broke down and caught fire near junction four at Farnworth, Bolton.
They walked to Anchor Lane Bridge, where they got a taxi to Liverpool before getting another to Harwich, Essex.
On January 6, they were seen around Colchester and officers believe they may have used false names to check into a B&B.
Mum appeared 'completely normal' moments before vanishing while walking dog
Detectives believe the following day the family of three took a taxi from there to East Ham tube station in Newham, East London, 70 miles away, paying the fare in cash, before disappearing.
The Metropolitan Police launched an appeal to find the couple missing with their newborn baby (PA)
Constance Marten outside Harwich Port in Essex (PA)Each time Ms Marten and Mr Gordon are seen on CCTV, they are covering their faces or looking away, and have kept the baby covered up.
Investigators say the couple appear to know how to evade authorities - making the search for them harder.
Police 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 the staff at hotels or hostels where the couple may stay to come forward.
Detective Superintendent Lewis Basford 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.
"The last confirmed sighting of them was more than a week ago in East Ham - they could now be anywhere in the UK, which is why it is vital that members of the public continue to contact us with any suspected sightings.
"The assistance you've provided so far has been invaluable. Please don't forget about Constance, Mark and the baby - if you see them or think you have seen them then please contact us as a matter of urgency."
Some 200 officers are working on the search and have scoured through more than 200 hours of CCTV footage since the pair were last seen on January 7.
Mr Gordon's conviction relates to a Florida attack on a woman in her early 20s when he was 14.
GMP's Head of Public Protection, Chief Superintendent Michaela Kerr, previously issued a direct plea to Constance.
She said: "As a mum, I would like to make a direct appeal to Constance. Constance, I know this is an exceptionally hard time for you and you are likely feeling scared but I promise that our number one priority is the same as yours – to keep your beautiful new born safe.
"As you know, it’s really important that both you and your baby are assessed by medical professionals as soon as possible so please make contact with emergency services or make your way to your nearest hospital, wherever that may be.
"I would also like to appeal to members of the public – not just in Bolton but across Greater Manchester and beyond."
Anyone who has information on the family’s whereabouts should call the incident room on 020 7175 0785.