This is an archived article that was published on sltrib.com in 2006, and information in the article may be outdated. It is provided only for personal research purposes and may not be reprinted.
July 16
July 17
July 20
July 21
July 22
July 23
Destiny disappears:
Between 8 and 8:30 p.m. Sunday, July 16, 5-year-old Destiny Norton leaves home after taking a bath, wearing only an adult-size T-shirt. Her family begins searching and calls 911 about 8:41 p.m. Members of their LDS ward scour the neighborhood for hours.
Amber Alert:
Police issue an alert after learning a 51-year-old man acted strangely near Destiny's home about the time she vanished. The alert is canceled after the man is questioned and released. More than 50 officers search the neighborhood as family and friends pass out fliers.
July 18
Call for help:
On Tuesday, about 200 volunteers join the search in sweltering heat. A Web site is launched and a $15,000 reward is posted. Police scour the Nortons' home, taking hair samples and a chunk of wall with her painted handprint.
July 19
No leads:
By Wednesday afternoon, about 70 tips yield no solid leads. More than 450 volunteers search Salt Lake City neighborhoods and nearby canyons.
"We're poor":
On Thursday, drawing comparisons to the community outpouring after Elizabeth Smart's 2002 disappearance, Destiny's family and friends plead for more help. About 800 volunteers knock on doors and search Emigration Canyon amid scant national media coverage.
"We don't have anything to go on":
Police report no solid leads Friday, despite receiving more than 260 tips. The reward doubles to $30,000 and about 800 volunteers join a search of the city.
Still no sign:
At least 700 volunteers search Saturday. "She just plain and simple disappeared," says family spokeswoman Jeannie Hill. Police, meanwhile, quietly begin focusing on neighbor Craig Roger Gregerson, 20.
Rising hopes:
On Sunday, police and the FBI announce a possible sighting of Destiny with a man at a Smith's Conoco station in Farmington.
July 24
Body recovered:
Late Monday afternoon, police release a sketch of a man driving a black Dodge pickup at the Farmington gas station. Detectives also keep pressure on Gregerson, eventually getting enough evidence for a search warrant for his home. Destiny's body is found in the basement about 8:30 p.m. Gregerson is arrested. At a news conference later, a crowd gathers at Destiny's home, frustrated by the discovery of Destiny's body so nearby. Police Chief Chris Burbank arrives about midnight to defend his officers.