Constance Marten – latest news: Baby’s body found in search for aristocrat’s missing newborn

A body has been found in the search for the newborn baby of Constance Marten and Mark Gordon, police have confirmed.

The remains of a baby were found in a wooded area close to where the aristocrat and her partner were arrested on Monday.

The pair remain in custody having been arrested on suspicion of child neglect and gross negligence manslaughter.

Chief Superintendent James Collis from Sussex Police said the announcement will be “heartbreaking” for the local community.

He said: “I understand that the conclusion of this search will be heartbreaking for the local community and the wider public who have been impacted by and so supportive of this search and the investigation from the outset.”

Officers from Sussex Police and Metropolitan Police had been scouring 90 square miles of countryside, working day and night using helicopters, sniffer dogs, thermal imaging cameras and drones.

Marten, 35, comes from an aristocratic family with royal connections. A missing person operation was launched after the car she and Gordon were travelling in was found abandoned and on fire at the edge of the M61 on 5 January.

Key points

• Body found in search for missing newborn baby

• Police seek extension for detention of runaway aristocrat and partner

• Parkland scoured in search for missing baby

• Manslaughter arrests as police admit missing baby has likely come to harm

Body found in search for Constance Marten’s missing newborn baby, Sussex Police confirm

Wednesday 1 March 2023 19:01 , Eleanor Noyce

A body has been found in the search for runaway aristocrat Constance Marten’s missing newborn baby.

A post-mortem examination will be carried out in due course, detectives say.

The 35-year-old and her partner Mark Gordon, 48, were arrested in Brighton on Monday night, following a more than seven-week search sparked by the discovery of their burnt-out car on the M61 near Bolton.

The couple were detained by Sussex Police after being spotted by a member of the public, prompting an intensive search for their baby, which was not with the couple.

My colleague Andy Gregory has more:

Body found in search for Constance Marten’s missing newborn baby

CCTV footage appeared to show Mark Gordon using stick to walk

09:06 , Andy Gregory

At around 9.30pm on Monday, a member of the public – who recognised Constance Marten and Mark Gordon from media appeals – dialled 999 after spotting the pair withdrawing cash at a convenience store in Hollingbury Place, reports Josh Payne.

Officers arrived at the scene and detained the couple six minutes later.

CCTV footage from just before they were caught appears to show Gordon limping and using a large stick to walk.

Remains found in woodland following search for Constance Marten’s baby

Local residents lay candles in Brighton

08:33 , Andy Gregory

Local residents have been laying candles for Constance Marten’s baby in Brighton, the BBC has reported.

Ms Marten and her partner Mark Gordon were apprehended on the outskirts of the city on Monday night, and the remains of a baby have been discovered in nearby woodland. A post-mortem examination is yet to take place.

Full statement from police as remains found in search for baby

08:01 , Andy Gregory

Here is the full statement from Detective Superintendent Lewis Basford last night:

“It is my very sad duty to update that this afternoon, police officers searching a wooded area close to where Constance Marten and Mark Gordon were arrested, discovered the remains of a baby.

“A post-mortem examination will be held in due course. A crime scene is in place and work at the location is expected to continue for some time. This is an outcome that myself and the many officers who have been part of the search, had hoped would not happen.

“I recognise the impact this news will have on the many people who have been following this story closely, and can assure them that we will do everything we possibly can to establish what has happened.

“Constance Martin and Mark Gordon remain in custody after an application for the extension of their detention for a further 36 hours was sought from Brighton Magistrates’ Court.

“It is imperative now that media and members of the public refrain from speculation and comments online that could be prejudicial to potential court proceedings. No further information about the discovery will be shared at this time.”

Mapped: Where were Constance Marten and Mark Gordon sighted?

07:29 , Andy Gregory

Police spent more than seven weeks trying to track down Constance Marten and Mark Gordon before they were apprehended on Monday night.

Here is a map of their known movements, mostly relating to the first three days after their car was discovered on the hard shoulder of the M61.

Pair spotted at fish and chip shop last month

07:00 , Alisha Rahaman Sarkar

Constance Marten and Mark Gordin were reportedly spotted at a fish and chip shop on 11 February.

A source told The Sun that Ms Marten and her sex offender partner Gordon visited J & E Fish Bar at night in the weeks before being arrested.

“They’ve been picked up on CCTV in the area as far back as 11 February. They’ve been seen going into the chippy and into the Mulberrys, and would only go out at night,” the source was quoted as saying.

“Gordon has a leg injury and was using the tree branch as a walking stick. They were never seen with the baby, or pushing a pram or anything like that.”

Everything we know about Constance Marten and Mark Gordon

06:30 , Alisha Rahaman Sarkar

Constance Marten and Mark Gordon were arrested on Monday in Brighton, southern England, following a tip from a member of the public.

Ms Marten, 35, and her boyfriend Gordon, 48, a convicted sex offender, had crisscrossed England to avoid authorities, police said.

The pair had been missing 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.

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.

Thomas Kingsley has more.

Who are Constance Marten and Mark Gordon: Everything we know about missing couple

Constance Marten’s father: My immense relief she’s been found

06:00 , Alisha Rahaman Sarkar

The father of runaway aristocrat Constance Marten has spoken of his “immense relief” that his daughter has been found but said he was extremely worried about her newborn baby.

Napier Marten, who issued two heartfelt pleas while his daughter was on the run with her convicted rapist partner, told The Independent that “whatever the weather, I love her dearly and will support her best I can”.

But he added that it would have been “far better if they had handed themselves in earlier”.

Martha McHardy and Lizzie Dearden report.

Constance Marten’s father relief she’s been found — and his fears for missing baby

Moment police swoop in to arrest Constance Marten and Mark Gordon

05:30 , Alisha Rahaman Sarkar

Surveillance footage shows the moment police swooped in to arrest Constance Marten and her partner, Mark Gordon.

The couple was found by officers in Brighton following a tip-off from the public, but were without their newborn baby.

Police have further charged the couple on suspicion of gross negligence manslaughter. They were travelling by taxi across the UK after their car was found burned on a motorway in Greater Manchester.

Watch here.

Moment police swoop in to arrest Constance Marten and Mark Gordon

Watch: Inside Constance Marten’s aristocratic childhood home

05:00 , Alisha Rahaman Sarkar

This video gives a glimpse inside the aristocratic childhood home of Constance Marten.

The runaway aristocrat and her convicted sex offender partner were found and arrested in Brighton, without their newborn baby.

The remains of a baby were found in a wooded area close to where the pair was arrested on Monday, the police said.

Inside Constance Marten’s aristocratic childhood home Crichel House

Parkland scoured in urgent search for missing baby

04:30 , Alisha Rahaman Sarkar

Specialist teams scoured parkland around a mile from where aristocrat Constance Marten and her partner Mark Gordon were arrested.

Dozens of officers from the Metropolitan Police and a team from London Search and Rescue were seen in Wild Park Local Nature Reserve, which backs onto Hollingbury Golf Course, in Brighton, East Sussex.

The officers, some wearing jackets indicating they were dog handlers, searched underneath sticks and logs close to where the two sites meet.

Read more here.

Parkland scoured in urgent search for Constance Marten and Mark Gordon’s baby

Voices: ‘It was like losing her to a cult’: My daughter was estranged, I know the Marten family’s pain

04:00 , Eleanor Noyce

In case you missed it...

Contact with our much-loved daughter was on-and-off. We knew she was living with someone making her very ill indeed, though it was years before we discovered the extent of it, writes Anne Atkins:

Listening to Marten’s appeal, I was immediately taken back to a friend’s Christmas party. Seven or eight years ago, perhaps – pleasant company, lovely food and drink, carols. I was enjoying myself as best I could. Until, that is, our kind hostess asked for news of our daughter and I erupted into such racking, wild and keening sobs I had to leave the room.

I howled and heaved. Even long after calming down enough to return and apologise, on my way home I fell off my bicycle into the middle of the road. I barely cared if I’d hurt myself or if traffic came.

I spent that Christmas and the month or two either side with no idea whether our daughter was alive or dead. On hearing this, sometime later, my husband said: “But of course she was alive. We’d have heard, otherwise.”

Read more:

My agony during my own daughter’s estrangement | Anne Atkins

Who is Napier Marten? Father who made emotional appeal for daughter missing with baby

03:00 , Eleanor Noyce

The aristocratic Marten family has dominated headlines in recent weeks after 35-year-old Constance Marten, her newborn baby and partner, a convicted rapist, became the subject of a “high risk” missing person investigation.

Napier Marten had urged his daughter Constance to take herself and the child to safety as soon as possible.

Appealing to his daughter in January, Mr Marten said: “I want you to understand that you are much much loved whatever the circumstances. We are deeply concerned for your and your baby’s welfare”.

Read more:

Who is Napier Marten? Father who made emotional appeal for daughter missing with baby

How Constance Marten and Mark Gordon were caught: A chance encounter outside a corner shop

02:00 , Eleanor Noyce

Fifty-three days after going on the run with a newborn baby, missing aristocrat Constance Marten and her boyfriend Mark Gordon were finally caught – with help from a member of the public outside a corner shop.

The couple were recognised by a passer-by thanks to media appeals, and police swooped just six minutes later as they walked up a nearby Brighton street.

“Just after 9.30pm, yesterday [Monday] evening a member of the public – off the back of media reporting of images of the couple – sighted them outside of the Mulberrys convenience store on Hollingbury Place,” Detective Superintendent Lewis Basford told a press conference.

“They saw the couple withdrawing cash and dialled 999. The time between that call being registered and police arriving at the scene was six minutes.”

He described Ms Marten and Gordon as “heavily clothed for outdoor activity” and said they underwent medical checks in custody.

Read more:

How Constance Marten and Mark Gordon were caught: A corner shop chance encounter

Remains found in woodland following search for Constance Marten’s baby

01:00 , Eleanor Noyce

In case you missed it...

Remains have been found in an area of woodland following a major search for Constance Marten’s two-month-old baby.

Hundreds of officers from the Metropolitan Police and Sussex Police, as well as search and rescue volunteers, scoured 90 square miles of land near Brighton over the course of two days in search of the infant.

On Wednesday evening, Detective Superintendent Lewis Basford told reporters a baby’s remains had been found close to where Marten and her partner Mark Gordon were arrested on suspicion of child neglect on Monday.

The pair had been avoiding police for several weeks and were detained by officers on Stanmer Villas in the city, but the child was not with them – sparking a widespread search in the Sussex undergrowth.

Helicopters, sniffer dogs, drones and thermal imaging cameras were all deployed during the two-day operation.

Read more:

Remains found in woodland following search for Constance Marten’s baby

Friend of Constance Marten ‘warned’ her about falling in love with dangerous men

00:15 , Eleanor Noyce

In case you missed it...

A friend of Constance Marten has claimed she previously warned the missing mother about the type of men she “falls in love with” but that she “doesn’t listen to anyone”.

Noisette Tahoun, who worked at the same film production company as Ms Marten in Cairo, Egypt, in 2010, said she was “not shocked” when she found out that the 35-year-old had been reported missing.

Speaking to The Independent, Ms Tahoun said she had told the heiress to “take care of the people she gets close to”.

Read more:

Friend of Constance Marten ‘warned’ her about falling in love with dangerous men

Constance Marten: The runaway heiress, her rapist partner and the aristocratic family rift

Wednesday 1 March 2023 23:15 , Eleanor Noyce

They abandoned their burning car on the hard shoulder of the M61 and fled – an aristocrat, a sex offender, and their baby, born just one or two days before. From the inferno near Bolton, thought to have destroyed all their belongings, they travelled first to Liverpool, then to Harwich in Essex, to Colchester and on to East Ham station in east London, over the course of two days.

They went on the run for more than a month, and on Tuesday 28 February police confirmed the couple had been arrested on suspicion of gross negligence manslaughter.

CCTV images of the family from one of their last sightings on 7 January had placed them in the Whitechapel area of east London walking toward Brick Lane after 10pm. CCTV image show 48-year-old Mark Gordon, the rapist partner of Constance Marten, 35, leaving an Argos after purchasing a tent, which police believe the family slept in with their newborn baby.

Their faces remain covered with face masks and hoods as they can be seen walking through east London streets, Gordon in front and Marten behind pushing a buggy covered in blankets.

Read more:

Constance Marten: The missing aristocrat, her rapist partner and the family rift

The televangelist linked to Constance Marten who claimed to heal Aids and counted Premier League stars among his followers

Wednesday 1 March 2023 22:45 , Eleanor Noyce

Nigerian pastor Temitope Balogun Joshua was considered one of Africa’s most influential evangelists. Born into poverty on 12 June 1963, he suggested he was a “miracle child” after claiming he was in his mother’s womb for 15 months.

As a young man he spoke of heavenly visions from God, having also proclaimed that he was “prophesied” 100 years before.

One of those visions led him to form his own ministry in Lagos in 1987 – the Synagogue, Church of All Nations (SCOAN) – which would become a so-called megachurch in the city. At one point, it welcomed 15,000 worshippers each Sunday with visitors from all over the world travelling to Lagos to see it in action.

His rise to prominence in the late 1990s coincided with the explosion of “miracle” programmes performed on national TV by various pastors.

He became one of the country’s best known televangelists, primarily through Christian television station Emmanuel TV, and claimed to have healed all manner of illnesses, including HIV/Aids.

It was at his megachurch in Lagos that aristocrat Constance Marten spent several months in 2006 and 2007. The Independent has spoken to former “disciples” who have described the disturbing practices that took place there and how followers were subjected to sexual assault and psychological trauma. The revelations include claims that Ms Marten was forced to eat leftovers of the charismatic founding “prophet” TB Joshua.

Read more:

The televangelist who claimed to heal Aids and counted football stars among followers

Mapped: What we know about Constance Marten and Mark Gordon’s runaway journey

Wednesday 1 March 2023 22:15 , Eleanor Noyce

More than seven weeks after their burning car was found abandoned at the roadside near Bolton, Constance Marten and her partner Mark Gordon have been arrested on England’s south coast.

The couple had spent weeks living off-grid in an apparent attempt to evade authorities.

The couple, aged 35 and 48 respectively, were apprehended in Brighton’s Stanmer Villas on Monday night, police said.

Read more:

Mapped: What we know about Constance Marten and Mark Gordon’s runaway journey

Crichel House: Inside Constance Marten’s aristocratic childhood home

Wednesday 1 March 2023 21:37 , Eleanor Noyce

This video gives a glimpse inside the aristocratic childhood home of Constance Marten.

The runaway aristocrat and her convicted sex offender partner were found and arrested in Brighton, without their newborn baby.

This video shows the mansion Constance Marten spent much of her childhood in:

Inside Constance Marten’s aristocratic childhood home Crichel House

How Constance Marten and Mark Gordon were caught: A chance encounter outside a corner shop

Wednesday 1 March 2023 21:00 , Eleanor Noyce

Fifty-three days after going on the run with a newborn baby, missing aristocrat Constance Marten and her boyfriend Mark Gordon were finally caught – with help from a member of the public outside a corner shop.

The couple were recognised by a passer-by thanks to media appeals, and police swooped just six minutes later as they walked up a nearby Brighton street.

“Just after 9.30pm, yesterday [Monday] evening a member of the public – off the back of media reporting of images of the couple – sighted them outside of the Mulberrys convenience store on Hollingbury Place,” Detective Superintendent Lewis Basford told a press conference.

“They saw the couple withdrawing cash and dialled 999. The time between that call being registered and police arriving at the scene was six minutes.”

He described Ms Marten and Gordon as “heavily clothed for outdoor activity” and said they underwent medical checks in custody.

Read more:

How Constance Marten and Mark Gordon were caught: A corner shop chance encounter

Moment police swoop in to arrest Constance Marten and Mark Gordon

Wednesday 1 March 2023 20:30 , Eleanor Noyce

Footage shows the moment police swooped in to arrest Constance Marten and her partner, Mark Gordon.

The couple was found by officers in Brighton following a tip-off from the public, but were without their newborn baby.

They were travelling by taxi across the UK after their car was found burned on a motorway in Greater Manchester.

This evening, Sussex Police sadly confirmed that they had found a body in a wooded area.

Watch:

Moment police swoop in to arrest Constance Marten and Mark Gordon

CCTV shows Constance Marten and Mark Gordon moments before arrest

Wednesday 1 March 2023 19:55 , Eleanor Noyce

CCTV footage shows aristocrat Constance Marten and her partner Mark Gordon moments before their arrest on Monday evening (27 February).

The pair can be seen walking past a house at 9:25pm before being taken into custody by police in Brighton.

Watch:

CCTV shows Constance Marten and Mark Gordon moments before arrest

Detectives thank members of the public following “heartbreaking” news

Wednesday 1 March 2023 19:24 , Eleanor Noyce

Detectives who described the news as “heartbreaking for the community” thanked members of the public who had offered information in this evening’s announcement.

A massive search was undertaken over 96 sq miles around the Brighton area for two days, leading to the discovery. A post-mortem examination on the baby will be carried out in due course, detectives said, to find out how he or she died.

Ms Marten, 35, and her partner Mark Gordon, 48, were arrested in Brighton on Monday night, following a more than seven-week search sparked by the discovery of their burnt-out car on the M61 near Bolton.

The couple were detained by Sussex Police after being spotted by a member of the public, prompting the intensive search for their missing baby.

My colleagues Andy Gregory and Jane Dalton have more:

Body found in search for Constance Marten’s missing newborn baby

Watch: Police confirm body found in search for missing baby

Wednesday 1 March 2023 19:12 , Eleanor Noyce

In a press conference held on Wednesday evening, Sussex Police have confirmed that a body has been found in the search for Constance Marten and Mark Gordon’s missing baby.

Watch here:

Work on case expected to continue for ‘some time’, says Metropolitan Police Detective Superintendent Lewis Basford

Wednesday 1 March 2023 19:10 , Eleanor Noyce

Speaking at Sussex Police headquarters, Metropolitan Police Detective Superintendent Lewis Basford told reporters: “It is my very sad duty to update this afternoon, police officers searching a wooded area close to where Constance and Mark Gordon were arrested, discovered the remains of a baby.

“A post-mortem examination will be held in due course.

“A crime scene is in place and work at the location is expected to continue for some time.

“This is an outcome that myself and that many officers who have been part of this search had hoped would not happen.

“I recognise the impact this news will have on many people who have been following this story closely and can assure them that we will do everything we possibly can to establish what has happened.”

The couple remain in custody, having been arrested on suspicion of child neglect and gross negligence manslaughter.

Announcement ‘heartbreaking’ for local community, says Chief Superintendent James Collis

Wednesday 1 March 2023 19:08 , Eleanor Noyce

Chief Superintendent James Collis from Sussex Police said the announcement will be “heartbreaking” for the local community.

He said: “I would first and foremost like to extend my heartfelt condolences on behalf of Sussex Police to the wider family of the baby at this time.

“I understand that the conclusion of this search will be heartbreaking for the local community and the wider public who have been impacted by and so supportive of this search and the investigation from the outset.

“I would like to thank again the public, including the member of public whose information led to the arrests, the huge number of people who came forward with information and those that have volunteered to assist with the searches.

“We continue to support the Metropolitan Police as they conduct their investigation and also the wider community as we all come to terms with this tragedy.”

Sussex Police begin ‘significant' update on Constance Marten and Mark Gordon investigation

Wednesday 1 March 2023 18:59 , Eleanor Noyce

Following a slight delay, the police update on the investigation into the whereabouts of Constance Marten and Mark Gordon’s two-month-old baby has started.

Detective Superintendent Lewis Basford and Chief Superintendent James Collis will now give statements.

Follow along as we provide live updates.

Sussex Police to give update on Constance Marten and Mark Gordon investigation

Wednesday 1 March 2023 18:19 , Eleanor Noyce

Sussex Police is set to provide a significant update on the investigation at 18:30.

Detective Superintendent Lewis Basford and Chief Superintendent James Collis will give statements shortly.

On Tuesday 28 February, police confirmed the couple had been arrested on suspicion of gross negligence manslaughter, with the search for their two-month-old continuing.

Follow for live updates.

Helicopters, cameras and drones used in baby search

Wednesday 1 March 2023 17:10 , Jane Dalton

Detectives scouring 90 sq miles in the Brighton area say they are using helicopters, sniffer dogs, thermal imaging cameras and drones to search for the missing baby of Constance Marten and Mark Gordon.

Teams will continue to work in the coming days, including overnight, Detective Superintendent Lewis Basford said.

Watch: Constance Marten: Search for missing baby widens as police dogs called in

Wednesday 1 March 2023 16:10 , Emily Atkinson

Constance Marten: The runaway heiress, her rapist partner and the aristocratic family rift

Wednesday 1 March 2023 15:40 , Emily Atkinson

They abandoned their burning car on the hard shoulder of the M61 and fled – an aristocrat, a sex offender, and their baby, born just one or two days before. From the inferno near Bolton, thought to have destroyed all their belongings, they travelled first to Liverpool, then to Harwich in Essex, to Colchester and on to East Ham station in east London, over the course of two days.

They went on the run for more than a month, and on Tuesday 28 February police confirmed the couple had been arrested on suspicion of gross negligence manslaughter – as the search for their baby continues.

Tom Ough has the story:

Constance Marten: The missing aristocrat, her rapist partner and the family rift

Police seek extension for detention of runaway aristocrat and partner

Wednesday 1 March 2023 14:44 , Emily Atkinson

Detective Supt Lewis Basford said the Met has made an application for a 36-hour extension of the detention of Constance Marten and Mark Gordon has been made to Brighton Magistrates’ Court.

He added that detectives must now consider that the baby has come to serious harm.

Speaking at the scene in Newhaven he told reporters: “Detectives from the Met’s specialist crime comand are now leading enquring efforts to locate the baby.

“This is a hugely difficult and painstaking investigation covering a vast area of some 90 square miles. We’re using every resource at our disposal to find the baby.”

Inside Crichel House: The multi-million-pound family home where aristocrat Constance Marten grew up

Wednesday 1 March 2023 14:13 , Emily Atkinson

Missing aristocrat Constance Marten has been detained with her partner Mark Gordon after 53 days on the run with their newborn baby, who remains missing.

As the police conduct an urgent search for the missing two-month-old infant, the pair have now been arrested on suspicion of manslaughter by gross child negligence.

The case of the 35-year-old aristocrat makes for one of the more unusual police investigations. The former heiress to the multi-million pound Crichel House in Dorset, became estranged from her family after she began dating convicted sex offender Mr Gordon.

Thomas Kingsley has more:

Inside Crichel House, the family home where aristocrat Constance Marten grew up

Parkland scoured in search for missing baby

Wednesday 1 March 2023 13:00 , Emily Atkinson

Groups of officers from the Metropolitan Police and London Search and Rescue conducted sweeps of Moulsecoomb Wild Park, looking under bushes and behind trees for Constance Marten’s baby.

The officers, some in police uniform, some in red coats, some in black clothing and others in orange hi-vis, used sticks to search through the undergrowth.

At the start of each section of their searches, one officer shouted: “Are we ready? Look behind you, and let’s get going” before they walked in a line, scouring the area.

The search party would pause frequently to ensure each member had caught up with the rest of the line, before continuing to walk forwards.

Watch: Moment police swoop in to arrest Constance Marten and Mark Gordon

Wednesday 1 March 2023 12:30 , Emily Atkinson

Wednesday 1 March 2023 12:00 , Emily Atkinson

Officers from London Search and Rescue could be seen in orange hi-vis jackets searching Moulsecoomb Wild Park – around a mile from where Constance Marten and Mark Gordon were arrested.

The officers, some wearing jackets indicating they were dog handlers, searched underneath sticks and logs close to where the area meets Hollingbury Golf Course.

A uniformed officer was seen standing guard at the entrance to the park, with dog walkers saying they saw police tape cordoning off parts of the woodland.

Wednesday 1 March 2023 11:30 , Emily Atkinson

Police have searched every shed at the Roedale Valley Allotments near where Constance Marten and Mark Gordon were arrested and will remain on site for some time, users have been told.

An entry on the allotments society Facebook page said officers had forced entry to outbuildings as the hunt for the two-month-old baby continues.

The site remains closed to users amid the massive search operation

.