GUILTY UT - Destiny Norton, 5, Salt Lake City, 16 July 2006

[Jeana (DP)]

They found Destiny's body tonight.
1/2 blocks from her home.
In someones basement.

Oh Dear God. That poor baby.

 

[MrsMush99]

Prayers to Destiny's family. This is just awful.

 

[PrayersForMaura]

Destiny Norton Found Dead, Suspect in Jail



Gregerson is 20 years old, seen in a mug shot two years ago when he was booked into jail on assault and domestic violence charges.

His house on Elwood Place is just behind the Norton's apartment.

Family and friends don't recognize him.

Peter Brooks, Destiny's Uncle: "I have no idea who he is. I never got to know any of the neighbors."

Police say Gregerson lived in the house alone, though we know he is married with a small child.

Court documents reveal in February Gregerson filed for a protective order against his wife, Catherine Gregerson. Eyewitness News spoke with her early on in the search for Destiny last Tuesday.

Cadie Gregerson/ Neighbor/ July 17: "I came over and I talked straight to the mother. Then I went and took my daughter inside and then went straight out to go look." Cadie Gregerson: "I mean, I have a child too. How would I feel? It's the same way. What if my child went missing? I'd be completely devastated."

*****


Pictures of Gregerson with his own child and family are posted online. He's listed himself on the website myspace.com. On it he says, "I don't want kids." We couldn't find Gregerson listed on the state sex offender registry. But once again, he was arrested for assault and domestic violence charges a couple years ago, and now is charged with Destiny Norton's murder.



More: http://www.ksl.com/?nid=148&sid=380101

 

[calidreamin]

I feel terrible about this. I watched NG last night and it seemed like there was hope of finding her and now this. I will never be able to understand how someone could hurt a child.

 

[englishleigh]

This reminds me of little Jessica Lunsford and how she was killed and then found so close to her home. Poor little Destiny!!!! God be with her parents. The thing about Utah is, though, they aren't too tough on killers, are they? I'm thinking of the Mark Hacking case.

 

[nanandjim]

This is horrible. Unfortunately, I feared that the little girl was abducted and murdered. I wonder what led the police to search Gregerson's basement. I assume that they got a search warrant or perhaps his wife let them search the home.

 

[MrsMush99]

This is just incredibly sad. Just like Jessica Lunsford, as another poster stated. Maybe LE should make it a priority to search the surrounding homes from now on. If I child goes missing maybe they should start off their searches with the homes of the child's neighbors. Maybe I'm way off base here but Danielle Van Dam was taken by a neighbor, Jessica Lunsford and now poor Destiny. And how many more we don't even hear about on the news.

 

[nanandjim]

This is just incredibly sad. Just like Jessica Lunsford, as another poster stated. Maybe LE should make it a priority to search the surrounding homes from now on. If I child goes missing maybe they should start off their searches with the homes of the child's neighbors. Maybe I'm way off base here but Danielle Van Dam was taken by a neighbor, Jessica Lunsford and now poor Destiny. And how many more we don't even hear about on the news.

In hindsight, the little girl was in her backyard and gone within 10 minutes. Perhaps, an immediate search of all adjacent neighbors would be in order. I know that I would voluntarily allow the police to search my home for the girl.

 

[hollyjokers]

I do think the police dropped the ball on this one...they had even made the comment "she vanished out of thin air." If the house next door is supposed to be vacant or not, it should have been searched ASAP, although I doubt the end result would have been any different.

PS - Lady Memac, great investigative work.

 

[Jeana (DP)]

Okay, go ahead and let me have it with both barrels, but his guy obviously had watched for a while and realized that he would have an opportunity to find her outside alone and did it. If someone would have been out there with her, he wouldn't have targeted her. I'm sorry if her family didn't watch the news enough to realize that there are pedophiles out there just waiting for parents to drop the ball, but . . . here we are. WE are the only line of defense between our kids and them. If we're not there, they have nothing.

Okay, go ahead and let me have it.

 

[ANGRYWOLF]

but kept her alive a few days..if the police had acted quickly she might still be alive...then the police there will be subjected to intense criticism.The autopsy will say when she died and how.I assume her raped her as well...Porbably had a fantasy about her and gave in to it.How sickening is that.He lived in Utah, right ? He could drive over to Nevada where prostitution is legal, not advocating that but it's better than raping and murdering a child...I hope he gets the death penalty...:sick:

 

[kwatson696]

This makes me sick.......and mad

 

[newkid]

Oh, I agree Bobbie and what makes me so angry is the police told him he couldn't go in and yet they thought no one lived there!~ What's up with that? It was adjacent to her home and, well you said everything else I would say Bobbie.

That police dept sound like Oakies from Muskoge { just an expression, and if you really live there no offense to you}, like the song says. Twiddlin' their thumbs while she is a hostage with some perv less than 50' from her own home!



Scandi

I'm sorry this all happened and I think everyone wishes this had a different outcome. You are both way off base with your accusations about the police department.

 

[muse217]

I feel like someone knocked the wind out of me. I had so hoped this darling child would be found alive.

I will keep Destiny and her family in my prayers.

Muse217

 

[kwatson696]

It sounds as if the police dept. did an awful investigating job on this case ....I would think they would search immediate areas first, especially houses no one lived in....:banghead:

 

[newkid]

I do think the police dropped the ball on this one...they had even made the comment "she vanished out of thin air." If the house next door is supposed to be vacant or not, it should have been searched ASAP, although I doubt the end result would have been any different.

PS - Lady Memac, great investigative work.

It was not supposed to be vacant. http://www.abc4.com/local_news/local_headlines/story.aspx?content_id=87EDA467-87D5-4745-86E3-DEDD465F8153 Burbank said police had questioned Gregerson earlier in the week, but did not have probable cause to search the home at that point.

 

[Jeana (DP)]

I'm sorry this all happened and I think everyone wishes this had a different outcome. You are both way off base with your accusations about the police department.

I agree.

 

[kwatson696]

According to this article the people of the neighborhood think differently...

http://abcnews.go.com/Health/story?id=2232580&page=1

 

[MagicRose99]

I'm sorry this all happened and I think everyone wishes this had a different outcome. You are both way off base with your accusations about the police department.

I agree.

What people seem to forget in their pain and anger is that police HAVE to keep their actions within the law or the whole case, all the evidence gathered, etc., can and will be thrown out.

 

[Jeana (DP)]

According to this article the people of the neighborhood think differently...

http://abcnews.go.com/Health/story?id=2232580&page=1

I completely understand their pain and their frustration. However, they are not lawyers nor are they law enforcement. Its easy to say just storm in there regardless, but it doesn't work that way.