'We all lost a daughter last night'

The community outpouring of grief over the death of 5-year-old Destiny Norton keeps swelling as total strangers leave condolence messages on Web sites, donations flow in to help the family and stunned parents look at their own children with renewed love.

"It was not only your family that lost a daughter, we all lost a daughter last night, one daughter too many," a man named Jeffrey S. wrote on the KSL.com Web site — a sentiment shared by many others who said they wept when they heard the tragic news.

Originally, when Destiny was missing, Web sites sported a few unkind messages from people critical of the perceived lifestyle of Destiny's parents, Rachael and Ricky Norton, and their many friends.

But after Destiny's lifeless body was found in the crawl space of a neighbor's home, the entire tone changed.

The numerous messages — often from locations far from Utah — now offer heartfelt condolences to the family and friends from people who said Destiny and her loved ones are in their thoughts and prayers.

Some people wrote poems, others encouraged the Nortons to hold fast to their faith in God, several said they could not begin to comprehend the grief the family is going through, but offered their sympathy and love, even to the couple's 1-year-old daughter, Trinity, and the unborn child Rachael Norton is carrying.

A handful discussed the police, voicing opinions both favorable and negative, as well as laws involving search warrants.

But the majority spoke again and again of how a community grieves for a little girl taken before her time.

"Hearts throughout Utah, and throughout the world, break with yours tonight," wrote Reed W. on July 25.

"Our whole community is enshrouded in a pall of great sadness this day," wrote Janice Gilson. "We feel like the whole community failed her in some way. We failed to provide a safe place for a bright, sweet little girl to play in her own back yard, go to school, grow up, and live out her life. God bless the Norton family."

"My heart has shattered at the news," wrote Tammy Barker. "I could not sleep last night and went several times to hug my daughter."

"As a soldier deployed to Iraq, I feel helpless as far as protecting my own family. I would be so distraught if the same thing happened to my 2-year-old son. My heart and prayers go out to you and little Destiny. Just by looking at her pictures, I can see why you loved her so much," wrote Phillip Y.

Meanwhile, practical support also is springing up.