Who is Constance Marten? Mother with newborn baby missing for two weeks

The “high risk” search for Constance Marten, her partner and her newborn baby continues, with Metropolitan Police releasing a fresh appeal.

Marten and Mark Gordon went missing with their newborn child on 5 January. Gordon is a convicted rapist who served 20 years in prison.

The registered sex offender 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.

Marten and Gordon have been missing with their baby since 5 January, when their car broke down on the M61 outside of Bolton. The police became involved when the car caught fire.

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The couple's last known sighting was on 7 January at East Ham station in Newham, east London, between 11.45am and 12:30pm.

Police said Marten is believed to have “very recently” given birth, adding that “neither she nor the baby have been assessed by medical professionals”.

Who is Constance Marten?

The pair have been missing for two weeksGMP

Details surrounding the identity of Marten, 35, have continued to emerge since the search began.

As The Independent revealed recently, Marten belongs to an aristocratic family and is the granddaughter of Mary Anna Marten, with ties to the royal family.

Mary Anna Marten is a British Museum trustee whose godmother was the late Queen Mother, and used to own the Crichel estate in Dorset.

Friends have come forward to speak about Constance and described her as a “talented actress” who has featured in Tatler magazine.

She was enrolled at East 15 drama school in Essex before she dropped out in 2016. Speaking to The Sunday Times, a former friend revealed that she had been a promising talent.

The former classmate at the drama school, said: “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.”

Police released a CCTV image of a woman believed to be Constance Marten(Greater Manchester Police)

They also claimed that she “could have gone far” but lost interest in drama.

Detective Superintendent Lewis Basford has now made a direct plea to the couple to make contact with officers and said there are a number of officers “carrying out urgent enquiries to find Constance, Mark and their baby”.

He said: “Constance and Mark, I appeal directly to you, please think of your baby's health and wellbeing, and get in touch with us so we can ensure your child is medically well and has no underlying issues.

“Please do this for your child. You wouldn't be able to forgive yourself if they became poorly. All we want to do is help you and your baby.”

He also appealed to members of the public who might have seen the trio to contact police.

He said: “This is a fast-moving investigation and we have a number of officers from across the Met carrying out urgent enquiries to find Constance, Mark and their baby.

Anyone with information can call 020 7175 0785 or Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.

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