A couple who have been missing for 11 days with their newborn baby have a substantial amount of cash, which is helping them evade search efforts, police said.
Constance Marten, Mark Gordon and their baby have no luggage with them after most of their possessions were destroyed in a car fire and are using the money to pay for taxis and accommodation. Detectives also revealed that Gordon is a registered sex offender.
A search was triggered for them after their car broke down and caught fire on the M61 near Farnworth, Bolton on January 5. Police believe the baby may have been born in the car and was less than two days old. They have since been seen in Essex, Kent and London.
Marten comes from a wealthy aristocratic family. US police records confirmed Gordon served 20 years in prison for raping and assaulting a woman in her early 20s in Florida when he was 14.
Police are concerned about the newborn and say neither Marten nor the baby has received medical attention since birth.
The couple have reportedly lived an isolated life since meeting in 2016, with Marten, then a theater student, cutting ties with family and friends.
She grew up at Crichel House, an estate in Dorset, in a prominent family that had links to the royal family.
According to the Sunday Times, her grandmother was a playmate of Princess Margaret, while her father, Napier Marten, was a page to Queen Elizabeth.
The newspaper reported that the family put the Dorset estate on the market in 2010 for £100million, before it was sold to an American buyer.
Last September, Marten and Gordon began moving around the country, staying at Airbnb for brief periods.
After abandoning their car almost a fortnight ago, the couple then walked to Anchor Lane Bridge, where they caught a taxi to Liverpool before taking another to Harwich, Essex, where they were been spotted on CCTV, with Marten wearing a red scarf.
They were seen around Colchester on January 6 and 7, when they took another taxi to East Ham station in east London, where they were last seen.
Whenever the couple are seen on CCTV, they cover their faces or look away and have kept the baby covered.
Investigators say the couple seem to know how to evade authorities, making their search more difficult.
Police believe they could be anywhere in the UK and are calling on the public to provide any information that can help find them.
Investigators said it was unusual for hotels to accept cash payments and appealed to staff at hotels or hostels where the couple may be staying to come forward.
Metropolitan Police Detective Superintendent Lewis Basford said: ‘This is a complex investigation with officers across the Met continuing to work around the clock to locate Constance, Mark and their baby.
“There is no indication that either of them suffered any intentional harm – we just need to make sure he is okay, especially the baby, and does not require any medical attention for any underlying issues.
“The last confirmed sighting of them was over 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 to any suspected sightings.
“The help you have provided so far has been invaluable. Please remember Constance, Mark and the baby – if you see them or think you have seen them please contact us urgently.
Two hundred officers are working on the search and have gone through more than 200 hours of CCTV footage since the pair were last seen on January 7.
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