Gov. Jon Huntsman Jr. and first lady Mary Kaye have been among those in the community reaching out with condolences to the family of slain 5-year-old Destiny Norton.

In a statement, the governor said: "Mary Kaye and I are deeply saddened by the news of little Destiny Norton's death. We wish to express our deepest sympathies and condolences to the family during this extremely difficult period.

"We also want to thank the community for the tremendous support to the Norton family. The law enforcement officers who have worked diligently to find answers in this tragic situation also have our sincere gratitude. We ask everyone for their continued love and support for the Norton family during the weeks and months ahead. We will keep them in our thoughts and prayers."

The July 16 abduction of Destiny from her parents' back yard may have struck a chord with the governor, whose own brother was a kidnapping victim in December 1987.

James Huntsman, then 16, and a Highland High School student, was grabbed by a fellow student and handcuffed and blindfolded before being placed in a vehicle.

A $1 million ransom demand was placed to the family and the call eventually traced to a grocery store, where federal agents converged.

The kidnapper, on the phone to Jon Huntsman, was grabbed by a federal agent. In the struggle, the agent was stabbed in the chest and nearly died.

The kidnapper, who was 16 at the time of the offense, was sentenced to prison nearly three years later. He was paroled in January of 1995 and was terminated from Corrections' supervision two years later.