NJ ex-vice principal, drug dealer jumps to death off Palisades Parkway

A former Somerset County elementary school vice principal jumped to his death on Saturday night.

Palisades Interstate Parkway Police said they found a vehicle belonging to John Norton, 35, from Palisades Park parked in the parking lot of the State Line Lookout in Alpine after the lot closed on Saturday night and began a search of the trails on foot and from above using a plane from Westchester County.

The search was called off after dark due to dangerous conditions.  A missing person alert was also issued for Norton.

A rappel team resumed the search on Sunday morning and discovered Norton's body around 7 a.m. below the cliffs approximately approximately 320 feet from the parking lot. Police have determined that his death "was caused by no other actions other than his own" and was not suspicious.

NJ.com reports Norton resigned in 2013 as vice principal of the Elizabeth Avenue School in Franklin after being arrested for selling crystal meth from his Bound Brook home.

Norton was sentenced in March 2014 to spend five years in Somerset County's drug court program, which includes regular court appearances, treatment and random drug testing.