Posted on 07/25/2006 8:05:24 AM PDT by Former Fetus
SALT LAKE CITY - Officers have found the body of missing 5-year-old Destiny Norton in the basement of a home in her neighborhood and have arrested the man living there, police Chief Chris Burbank announced.
The body was found at 8:30 p.m. Monday, Burbank said.
The man being held for investigation of homicide was identified as Craig R. Gregerson, whose property abutted the back yard of the Nortons.
Gregerson, 20, had a previous arrest for a domestic dispute, KTVX reported.
"This is just devastating," said Zach Willner, one of the 10 young people, including the Nortons, who lived together. "The person who got her had better freaking pay for it."
Earlier Monday, police had issued a sketch of a man seen driving a black Dodge pickup with a girl who looked like 5-year-old Destiny Norton.
Burbank told a news conference Monday night that the leads on Gregerson and on the man in the pickup had developed at the same time, and police officials decided to go ahead with the release of the sketch.
Burbank made a statement and declined to answer any questions.
Authorities also had said earlier that they were looking for a man who went by the name "Bubble Man" at the drum circles that are a weekly Sunday event at Liberty Park.
Destiny and her parents had attended the drum circle July 16 just hours before Destiny disappeared from outside her house. She was barefoot and wearing only an adult-size black T-shirt with gray stripes.
Volunteers turned out in smaller than usual numbers Monday, a state holiday in Utah, to help search for Destiny. They handed out leaflets at the Days of '47 Parade marking the arrival of Mormon pioneers to Salt Lake Valley on July 24, 1847.
A $30,000 reward was offered for information leading to a resolution of the case.
It seems as though many of these kids that these kinds of things happen to come from broken or very unstable homes.
Looks like we need to register those arrested for domestic disputes. WHo knows? Might have saved this girl's life.
Do you have any other information? Can you explain what the drum circle is?
Justice would be a quick trial (two weeks max), and a hanging at noon within one week of sentencing. Too bad we have shackled ourselves with the bonds of loyyyahs.
A drum circle is a large group of neo-hippies doing, well, just what the name implies.. standing in a circle banging on drums.
I see them every sunday at Balboa Park in San Diego.
I believe it first became popular at Grateful Dead concerts.
Could I "chat" with this Craig R. Gregerson alone for about 2 minutes. They can tie one of my hands behind me if they want. Just 2 minutes please?
They don't want to work....
Oh no, I was so hoping she was going to be found alive. It was a very poor family that was totally distraught over their baby missing. My heart breaks for them.
I heard about it last night flipping channels. I do not like Nancy Grace but I stopped and watched because it was on a missing child.
From what I gathered the family spent time at the park which was near their apartment. The "drum circle" was there every weekend. From what I saw they were not a part of the group, just happened to be in the same place.
I just can't imagine what animal could do such a thing. Prayers up for the family.
They were part of the group. They lived on the street for a long time. The drum circle people were like their "family." They now live in an apartment with a number of other unrelated people.
If the things I have heard locally are true, the family was trying to get its act together. The parents had gotten married a couple of weeks ago, and had begun going to church.
But I'm sure they had a long way to go, and who knows what kind of chemicals have impaired their judgment. From earlier news stories, the little girl -- 5 years old -- was mad at her parents and stormed out of the house at about 8:30 or 9 p.m. They didn't follow for about 10 minutes. By then she was gone.
Gary Gilmore treatment ASAP!
I got it (but nobody else did!) Funny!
And when the next girl is murdered by a man who only previously had a DUI do we register drunk drivers as well? If we register everybody for every infraction, the list will become meaningless.
It is already becoming this way with sex offender registrations where something as mild as public urination can be deemed a "sex offense."
BTW, in some places, yelling at your wife is considered "domestic violence."
Tie this guy to the back of a pickup truck and drive from Salt Lake City to Los Angeles. Bury whats left.
Drum circles are popular in hippie crowds (like my Rennie bunch). Essentially, you have a few drums and a circle of people. Someone starts drumming and whoever wants to joins in. If you want to sing or dance, you can do that too.
Okay, that's just funny.
Poor kid.
susie
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.