Prosecutors considering charges in Norton case

The mother and father of the 5-year-old girl who was missing for more than a week before her body was found in the basement of a home two doors away from her own apologized to investigators Wednesday for publicly berating police for not finding their child sooner.

The apologies from Rachael and Ricky Norton, as well as those of two of their close friends, came as Salt Lake County prosecutors reviewed evidence to decide which charges to formally file against Craig Roger Gregerson, whose home Destiny Norton's body was found in.

"The FBI and police ... I know they got our child back," Rachael Norton said.

Gregerson, 20, remained in the Salt Lake County Jail on Wednesday on charges of kidnapping and homicide.

Gregerson lured the barefooted girl from her backyard into his house, where he covered her mouth to muffle her screams, according to a probable cause statement used to arrest him.

Gregerson's arrest Monday ended more than a week of widespread searches that involved hundreds of people throughout the Salt Lake valley.

Mayor Rocky Anderson said Gregerson's home was searched early in the investigation, although he couldn't say why police failed to find the girl's body then. But he said Norton died within an hour of her disappearance July 16.

Prosecutors said Wednesday they will not release an autopsy report that details how Destiny Norton died.

Salt Lake City Police Chief Chris Burbank said detectives searched as much of Gregerson's home as they could without a warrant. It was after a warrant was received Monday that Norton's body was found in Gregerson's basement.

Burbank said Wednesday "tenacious detective work" is what allowed police to crack the case and find Norton's body. Burbank and the friends of the Norton family said widespread community support and aggressive police work kept Gregerson from leaving the area and being eliminated as a suspect.

"They did what they had to do to bring her home," said Peter Brooks, a friend of the family who yelled at police the night Norton's body was found.

About midnight Tuesday, Burbank came to the Norton home to try to quiet an angry crowd that grew so large police shut down traffic in the area as family and friends questioned police tactics.

That group included Jeannie Hill, who has served as a family spokeswoman. On Wednesday, Hill apologized for spitting on a police officer.

"All of our emotions were running high," she said. "We want to thank everyone for bringing this little girl home. She's home in heaven."