Baby found in woodland ‘may have been dead for some time’, police say

Police activity in woodland area in Brighton, East Sussex, near to where remains have been found in the search for the two-month-old baby of Constance Marten and Mark Gordon (Jordan Pettitt/PA)

Police in the Constance Marten and Mark Gordon investigation believe a baby found in woodland in Brighton, England “may have been dead for some time”.

Officers have also been unable to confirm the infant’s gender after the remains were found on Wednesday, and a post-mortem has not yet taken place.

It is “too early” to provide a specific date of death, the Metropolitan Police said.

Speaking at a press conference on Thursday, Detective Superintendent Lewis Basford also said the case has been referred to the police watchdog.

Metropolitan Police Detective Superintendent Lewis Basford (centre) and Sussex Police Chief Superintendent James Collis (left) pay their respects at a tribute on Golf Drive in Brighton, East Sussex, on Thursday (Jordan Pettitt/PA) 

He said: “At this stage we have not yet been able to confirm the baby’s gender and post-mortem examination has not yet taken place.

“Despite this, based on our inquiries we’ve carried out so far, we believe sadly the baby may have been dead for some time before they were found.

“It is too early for us to provide a more specific date.

“Because we believe the death occurred during the course of a missing person investigation we have made a mandatory referral to the Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC). This is standard protocol for such circumstances.”

Marten, 35, and Gordon, 48, were arrested on Monday on suspicion of child neglect after a passer-by spotted them in Brighton, and they were re-arrested on suspicion of gross negligence manslaughter the following day.

A drone view of allotments in Brighton, East Sussex, after remains were found in the search for the baby of Constance Marten and Mark Gordon (Jordan Pettitt/PA)

The couple had been on the run since January 5 when their car was found abandoned and on fire next to the M61 in Bolton.

On Thursday morning, a cordon was in place at allotments which were at the centre of Wednesday’s search.

They were still being swept by officers from the Metropolitan Police, which is leading the investigation.

Police search teams scouring an area of woodland next to Golf Drive in Brighton (Jordan Pettitt/PA)

A forensic tent and police vans were in place in cordoned off Golf Drive while a nearby woodland area frequented by dog walkers was also closed to the public.

The pair remain in custody after police were granted a 36-hour custody extension by city magistrates on Wednesday.

The community remained in shock following discovery of the baby’s remains.

(PA Graphics)

One mother-of-two, 37, who did not want to be named told the PA news agency: “Parents are concerned about what they are hearing and what is going to be said at school.

“Everyone is a bit in shock, we can’t quite believe it.”

Lilia Robertson, 48, told PA: “It is awful. We have got young children who have been questioning what is happening.

“I feel worried about going into the wood and that’s where I would normally walk.”