The body of John Norton was recovered below the State Line Lookout area near the New York border, according to police
John Norton The body of 35-year-old Palisades Park resident John Norton was recovered more than 300 feet below the State Line Lookout area atop the cliffs, Palisades Interstate Parkway police said in a statement.
No foul play is believed to have been involved, and his death was caused by "no other actions other than his own", according to police.
Norton, formerly of Bound Brook, was a former vice principal at the Elizabeth Avenue School in Franklin until resigning in late 2013, after he was arrested for selling crystal meth out of his home.
He later pleaded guilty, and in March 2014 was sentenced to spend five years in Somerset County's drug court program, which includes regular court appearances, treatment and random drug testing.
Palisades Interstate Parkway police first noticed a vehicle parked in the State Line Lookout area near the New York border around 8 p.m. Saturday, and began canvassing nearby trails to look for its owner.
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When that proved unsuccessful, officers contacted the Westchester County (N.Y.) police to deploy an aerial search using thermal imagining to scan the area below the cliffs. The search was eventually called off due to adverse weather and darkness, according to police.
In the meantime, the vehicle had been traced to Norton, and police posted a missing persons alert for him on social media Sunday morning.
At 7 a.m., Parkway police resumed their search, and eventually located a body approximately halfway down the cliff. A regional rappel team was called in to recover the body, which was later identified as Norton, authorities said.
Dan Ivers may be reached at divers@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter at @DanIversNJ. Find NJ.com on Facebook.
