This is an archived article that was published on sltrib.com in 2009, and information in the article may be outdated. It is provided only for personal research purposes and may not be reprinted.
Rickey Lee Norton -- whose 5-year-old daughter was found murdered in 2006 on the heels of a citywide search -- now faces felony drug distribution, weapons and child-endangerment charges.
Norton, 33, was charged Friday in 3rd District Court with one count of possession with intent to distribute; one count of purchase, transfer or possession of a firearm by a restricted person; and three counts of endangerment of a child.
Police arrested Norton on Sept. 8, when they went to a West Jordan home where he was living to serve a narcotics search warrant.
During the search, police found "several baggies" containing nearly 35 grams of marijuana, along with 7 ½ clonazepam pills, a drug pipe and a .380-caliber handgun loaded with eight bullets in the magazine, according to charging documents.
Charges state there were three children under the age of 6 inside the home where they had "potential access to drugs." Police have said those children might belong to someone with whom Norton was living.
Norton was arrested by officers from the Salt Lake City Police Department -- the same department who helped find his daughter. Salt Lake police had allegedly set up two controlled pot purchases from Norton.
A probable cause statement filed with the Salt Lake County jail after Norton's initial arrest said detectives found marijuana packaged for distribution, as well as drug paraphernalia and a gun. Police have said the gun might be considered illegal because of its association with the drugs.
Norton was booked into jail earlier in September on suspicion of drugs, weapons and endangerment, but he bailed out. There is now a warrant out for his arrest.
Rickey Norton's daughter, Destiny, disappeared from her backyard near 700 South and 500 East July 16, 2006. Norton started seeking his daughter within minutes of her disappearance by walking up and down 500 East calling her name. The first Amber Alert was issued that night.
For eight days, police, the FBI and hundreds of volunteers combed the city. Police found Destiny's body the night of July 24, 2006, in the basement of the next-door neighbor's home, then-20-year-old Craig R. Gregerson.
Gregerson pleaded guilty to capital murder and child kidnapping and is serving a life sentence with no chance of parole.
Norton later helped search for other missing children, including Hser Nay Moo, who was found dead in a South Salt Lake neighbor's basement in 2008.
Rickey Norton's ex-wife, Rachael, has said neither she nor Norton received counseling after their daughter's murder. Court records show the couple recently divorced after Rachael Norton filed for a protective order alleging he struck her with an open fist.