By Tori Richards
(Continued)
Destiny's parents, Rachael and Rick, were devastated by the news and in seclusion. Family spokesperson Jeannie Hill broke down sobbing as she said: "I can't believe anyone could do this to a baby. She was such a sweet little girl. You couldn't be around Destiny and not smile, it was just impossible."
The girl disappeared from her yard about 8:30 p.m. on July 16. She had taken a bath and gone outside to play for less than 10 minutes when her father called her to come in for dinner. When she wasn't there, her family and friends began a frantic neighborhood search that ultimately expanded to thousands of community members who fanned out across the city.
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Destiny Norton |
A 911 call reporting a missing child came in to police at 8:41 p.m. An officer was dispatched 29 minutes later and arrived at the Norton's downtown home six minutes after that, said Salt Lake City police Detective Joe Cyr.
He had no explanation why the dispatcher took 29 minutes to summon an officer.
A task force of about 70 police officers and FBI agents was formed and began working hundreds of leads that poured in as volunteers plastered "Missing Child" notices throughout the city. A command post had been set up at a local Mormon church where teams of searchers were sent out and the media hovered for updates. Approximately 70 percent of the city had been searched so far, Hill reported Monday.
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