A Manhunt, a Dead Child, and Now 2 Verdicts

Constance Marten and Mark Gordon found guilty of 2 charges, will face retrial on others
By Kate Seamons,  Newser Staff
Posted Jun 26, 2024 11:13 AM CDT
A Manhunt, a Dead Child, and Now 2 Verdicts
This handout combination photo from Jan. 18, 2023, shows Mark Gordon, left, and Constance Marten.   (Metropolitan Police via AP)

"Our focus has always been, and remains, securing justice for baby Victoria." So said a detective with the UK's Metropolitan Police on Wednesday in response to the news the child's parents have been found guilty on two charges and will face a retrial on others, reports the BBC. The baby was found dead in a wooded area on March 1, 2023, two days after Constance Marten, who was born into an aristocratic family, and Mark Gordon were apprehended following a nearly two-month manhunt. Details on the verdicts and what's next:

  • Police began searching for the British couple in January 2023 after finding a placenta in a vehicle that was found burning near Bolton, reports the Guardian. The couple were found on Feb. 27 in Brighton.

  • Their trial began on Jan. 25 but experienced a series of delays. The BBC reports on what the jury heard: that the couple had four children taken by social services and were trying to avoid the same fate when Victoria was born.
  • When their car caught fire, they left the area via taxi. Once they learned of the search for them, they purchased a tent. Prosecutors say exposure while camping may have killed the child in January, though a firm cause of death wasn't established.
  • Marten, 37, testified that on their second night camping she fell asleep holding the baby and woke to find her dead. The dead baby remained with Marten and Gordon, 50, for weeks, she said, even accompanying them to the beach.
  • In late May the couple was found guilty of concealing the birth of a child, and perverting the course of justice; the jury couldn't reach a verdict on other charges, including manslaughter by gross negligence and child cruelty. The prosecution on Wednesday said it plans to seek a retrial, which will likely occur next March. Reporting restrictions were lifted by the judge on Wednesday, which is why the guilty verdicts are just now coming to light.
(More dead baby stories.)

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