by LONDON – British police said they found the remains of a 2-month-old baby Wednesday after police arrested the infant’s mother and her boyfriend, who disappeared after the child was born in early January.
Constance Marten, 35, and her boyfriend Mark Gordon, 48, a convicted sex offender, had crossed England to avoid the authorities, police said. Investigators suspect the pair used large amounts of cash to live off the grid, traveled the country by taxi, covered their faces near closed-circuit cameras and moved frequently, often after dark.
Gordon served 20 years in prison after being convicted of kidnapping and sexual assault in Broward County in 1990, according to US law enforcement records.
The Florida Department of Law Enforcement continues to list him as a registered sex offender in South Florida. He was deported from the United States after his release.
They were taken into custody on Monday in Brighton, southern England, following a tip-off from a member of the public. The baby was not with them.
The couple were initially arrested on suspicion of neglect, and the grounds were upgraded on Tuesday to suspicion of grossly negligent murder.
The police had expressed concern that the baby was seriously injured. Dozens of police officers, assisted by helicopters and drones, searched for the child in woods and open spaces near where Marten and Gordon were arrested.
Detective Superintendent James Collis said Wednesday’s news would be “heartbreaking” for the local community.
Police launched a national search for Marten and Gordon after a car they were driving was found in flames on the side of the road on 5 January.
The police believe Marten gave birth in or near the car a day or two earlier. In the weeks before she and Gordon turned up, officers said they were concerned for the family’s welfare because neither Marten nor the baby had received medical treatment.
Marten, who comes from a wealthy, aristocratic British family, was reportedly a drama student when she met Gordon.
Copyright 2023 by WPLG Local10.com – All rights reserved. The Associated Press contributed to this report.
