Robin thanked Howard, Fred, Gary and Ronnie for being amazing throughout the ordeal. Sixteen years later, Fagan took Billy Rouse's confession of how he killed the couple. [170][171][172] He feels it necessary to keep his off-screen life to himself and opts for a "normal life. After the murders, the mob briefly took ownership of the house, running an illicit casino that attracted high-rollers in the early 1980s. It wasn't that good of a shot, just grazed him more or less, and he fell back on the bed," Rouse says. ", Filming around the village started in the fall, but it's uncertain if and when the documentary will be aired, Weppler said. In a videotaped confession, Rouse said he killed his parents after a confrontation with his mother over his drug use in which she threatened to send him to military school. [87] However, screenwriter Zak Penn was displeased with Norton's changes. "I wanted his attention, so I set his bed on fire," Rouse recalled. He gained immediate recognition and critical acclaim for his debut in Primal Fear (1996), which earned him a Golden Globe for Best Supporting Actor and an Academy Award nomination in the same category. 2023 Getty Images. "We thought it was like something that would be on television," she said. "[171] Drew Barrymore, his co-star in the 1996 musical Everyone Says I Love You, recalled that he was "on the set every day" and "never compromised for a second. [93] Conversely, the Los Angeles Times, while recognizing Norton's decent performance, opined that the film lacked a solid script. 25 February 2023. [64] Norton was expected to reprise his role in future Marvel Cinematic Universe ventures, including the 2012 blockbuster The Avengers. [161] He produced a campaign video for Obama's 2012 presidential race with Bennett Miller; the video featured voters from diverse economic and racial backgrounds. [29] The film and Norton's performance received a lukewarm response; Entertainment Weekly wrote that his acting "never really goes anywhere",[30] while the Chicago Reader observed that his character was not good enough to make the film interesting. His daughter Robin is the mother of actor Edward Norton. Today, the house is once again a single-family residence, and its quiet facade belies the horrors that took place within. "I did it for shock value, and there was none.". "Yes and no," Rouse replied. Her author profile at Penguin Random House notes that she . As a creative with a lifelong background in all things performance and entertainment and fitness, I have always been a maker of all sorts of things and a constant mover. 1945 - 2020. But relatives managed to wall off the children behind a protective cordon of lawyers. [96] Norton later claimed that he chose not to play Hulk again because he "wanted more diversity" and opted against associating himself with one character throughout his career. A Lake County crime boss was bludgeoned to death on a staircase in the home before a federal investigation closed the operation down, according to news accounts. For the first years, Darlene worked by his side. My dad must have wondered how anyone my age could be capable of such a thing. Norton, whose family had known of possible relation to Pocahontas and her husband John Rolfe for years, replied to the findings: "It makes you realize what a small piece of the human story you are". Documentary Crime In the town of Libertyville, IL, Bruce and Darlene Rouse appear to have everything: wealth, success and three wonderful children. As detectives checked further, they also found teeth and bloody tissues strewn about the entire bedroom. It was early Friday in Key West when Rouse gave a videotaped confession to investigators from the Lake County Major Crime Task Force. Time magazine labeled him "excellent",[46] and Variety magazine was impressed by his embracing a range of techniques needed for his character. Robin age 16, and son, Billy age 15, lived in the main house. Norton emerged as a filmmaker in the 2000s. "[177], According to the review aggregator site Rotten Tomatoes, Norton's most critically acclaimed films are Primal Fear (1996), Everyone Says I Love You (1996), The People vs. Larry Flynt (1996), American History X (1998), Fight Club (1999), The Score (2001), Frida (2002), 25th Hour (2002), The Illusionist (2006), The Painted Veil (2006), Moonrise Kingdom (2012), The Grand Budapest Hotel (2014), Birdman (2014), Sausage Party (2016) and Isle of Dogs (2018). [15] In 1994, Norton auditioned for Albee's Finding the Sun but did not get the part. Courtesy of Lake County sheriff's department. [84] Norton initially turned down the part as he felt the 2003 version Hulk "strayed far afield from a story that was familiar to people, which is a fugitive story". My friends and I had always worked hard to present ourselves as indifferent to most adult concerns, fashioning ourselves as rebels. He has received numerous awards and nominations, including a Golden Globe Award and three Academy Award nominations. Pool photo by Thomas Delany Jr./Sun-Times Media, A detective whose years of work finally resulted in a murder conviction in the infamous 1980 slaying of a wealthy Libertyville couple, Chuck Fagan retired as undersheriff for the Lake County sheriff's department in 2011. [123], Since coming to fame in the mid-1990s, Norton has opted not to discuss his personal life in public, saying that he "believes that excessive media coverage can distract him from fulfilling his role as an actor". [19] Norton insisted that he was not romantically involved with Love, and the two were only friends and colleagues. [115] The film was released on November 1, 2019, and received mixed reviews. "I wanted his attention, so I set his bed on fire," Rouse recalled. Bruce Rouse, 44, a businessman who owned several gas stations, had his lower jaw blown away by a second shotgun blast and was bludgeoned with the butt of the gun before he was killed by five knife wounds to his heart. October 12, 1992. Amy Robach was planning the ultimate revenge if she got axed from Good Morning America over the scandalous affair with co-host T.J. Holmes by writing a blow-the-lid-off, tell-all book,RadarOnline . [98] In 2009, Norton produced the documentary By the People: The Election of Barack Obama, which follows former U.S. president Barack Obama's campaigns leading to his 2008 election victory. In 1983, Robin told authorities that she suspected one of her brothers was responsible for her parents' murder, but the day before she was set to talk to police, she got into an accident. Darlene and Bruce Rouse, prominent owners of a chain of gas stations, had been brutally shot at close range in their bedroom overnight. [136] He is an advocate for renewable energy, specifically solar energy. Today, friends recall the Rouse murders with a mixture of curiosity, fear and dread. [47] For his performance, Norton was nominated for Best Actor by the Online Film Critics Society. His role as a reformed neo-Nazi in American History X (1998) earned him an Academy Award nomination for Best Actor. Like his previous venture, The Painted Veil garnered positive feedback from reviewers. The June 6, 1980 murder of Bruce and Darlene Rouse went unsolved until Rouse was picked up by Florida police last fall as a robbery suspect. [15] Norton recalled that it was theater and not films that inspired him to act. [64] Norton also produced the comedy-drama Thanks for Sharing (2012) under his company Class 5 Films. "We were extremely blue collar, and the Rouses were like having money. [95] However, he was replaced by Mark Ruffalo, allegedly due to Norton's "disputes" with Marvel. Today, friends recall the Rouse murders with a mixture of curiosity, fear and dread. No, he said, because all "I had to deal with then was gone." ", When Fagan loaded Rouse into a car heading for the flight back to Illinois to face charges, "Billy asked, 'Could I drive?'" The killings were a. Rouse confessed to killing his parents, Bruce and Darlene Rouse, on June 5, 1980. He and his wife, Darlene, were well-known in Libertyville and lived in a 13-room house with an indoor pool and horses on their estate. That didn't work," said Rouse, who fractured his father's skull before he went to the kitchen to fetch a knife. [114] Norton had wanted to work on the project since 1999 but did not begin until Brett Ratner, director of 2002's Red Dragon, joined in to help production. Waller did not to seek the death penalty because of Rouses age at the time of the murders. His biggest commercial successes have been Red Dragon (2002), Kingdom of Heaven (2005), The Incredible Hulk (2008), and The Bourne Legacy (2012). Billy Rouse recalled one time during his childhood when his father ignored him to read to Robin. Family secrets such as abuse, drug use or mental illness weren't openly discussed, though divorce rates had soared by the close of the 1970s. But beneath the facade of success loomed deep flaws hidden from the outside world. Booking photo of William Rouse on Oct. 14, 1995. Boards are the best place to save images and video clips. William Rouse left, and Robin Rouse leave court after appearing before the Lake County Grand Jury in Waukegan, Ill., on Monday, July 21, 1980. [159], During the 2008 and 2012 presidential elections, Norton supported but did not actively campaign for the Democratic nominee Barack Obama, saying that "it's much more interesting to encourage people to engage than to suggest that people should model themselves on me and my views". Many viewed the north suburb as a privileged place to grow up with a charming downtown, involved parents and high-performing schools. Pleased with the verdict, Pavletic points to a comment from the late Daily Herald reporter Tony Gordon, who covered the case for decades. A Shocking Confession In 1995, the Libertyville police received a call from the police in Key West. And through the years, the house on Milwaukee Avenue became known as "Murder Mansion," a reputation reinforced when it was sold and turned into an illicit casino. [64] His other lead role was in the action thriller The Bourne Legacy, the fourth installment in the Bourne series. But for me, it describes best the shallow, limited ability I possessed as a teenager to comprehend the horror of the murders and the impact that they must have had on our parents. But police immediately wondered how the boy could have slept through the gunfire, even through a torrential thunderstorm that struck the area that night. Both received weak reviews; Leaves of Grass was praised for Norton's performance but criticized for its conflicting tonal shifts,[100] while Stone was panned because of a clumsy plot with excessive twists. [15] He graduated from Wilde Lake High School in 1987. [9][10] Norton's maternal grandfather, James Rouse, was the founder of real-estate developer The Rouse Company and co-founder of the real estate corporation Enterprise Community Partners. "This can't be my son that did this. I had read about the country since I was a child - obsessively from my mid-twenties onwards - and it was Holy Land for me. Billy went to live in Key West, Florida, where he continued his drug use, squandered his share of the estate, married, divorced and was almost homeless. [79] The Guardian applauded the film as "faultless" and "powerful" as well as Norton's "genuinely affecting" performance. Their hopes were dashed, however, on a Friday afternoon in August, 1983, when Robin Rouse, alone in her car . The film is based on Chuck Palahniuk's 1996 novel. [133], Norton expressed discomfort upon learning his ancestors owned a family of slaves: "The short answer is these things are uncomfortable, and you should be uncomfortable with them. Libertyville, Illinois, on June 5, 1980, and Bruce and Darlene Rouse were murder in a brutal attack that shocked the entire community. He and his wife, Darlene, were well-known in Libertyville and lived in a 13-room house with an indoor pool and horses on their estate. [136] In 2003, he collaborated with oil company BP to develop the Solar Neighbors program, which aimed to install photovoltaic panels on rooftops of households in Los Angeles. Owning a chain of gas stations and cable services, they became prominent members of the Libertyville community. Norton rewrote the script several times without credit, focusing on the historical context and adding some humor while retaining Kahlo's real-life crude personality. One was an air ball., Go big or go home. So I was not surprised when I read that Mayor Terry Weppler in October made a point of telling the documentary's film crew during a Libertyville board meeting that the Rouse mansion was actually outside the village proper. Kurt Rouse and Robin Rouse leave United Methodist Church of Libertyville after the funeral of their slain parents, Bruce and Darlene Rouse, on June. For three and a half years, between Autumn 2018 and 2022, the most thrilling words I could say to anyone - especially myself - were 'I live in Russia.'. [19] Released in 1996, Primal Fear features Norton in the role of Aaron Stampler, an altar boy who is charged with the murder of a Roman Catholic archbishop and is defended by Martin Vail (Richard Gere). Donating monthly from now until the toad is overthrown. Even as a little kid.". The film was panned by critics for its incoherent screenplay. William. Since then, the Rouse murders have come up from time to time in the news. [22] He was selected for the part over two thousand other prospects. Living under that cloud, Kurt took his estimated $600,000 inheritance, moved to California and forged a new life. In 1984, while living in a transient hotel, Rouse went to jail for 60 days after he disrupted a chess game and stabbed a man. Yes, he said, because it really messed up his sister. I m getting things done, but something was gnawing at me and then as has happened for more than two decades I remember. says Fagan, who declined. [64], Norton has been nominated for three Academy Awards: Best Supporting Actor for Primal Fear and Birdman, and Best Actor for American History X. [62] Nevertheless, a few collaborators with whom Norton reportedly had disputes have expressed their respect for him: Kaye wanted to feature Norton in some of his other ventures, and Ratner offered to help with production of Norton's film Motherless Brooklyn and got along well with Norton. [62][115] Some publications interpreted Norton's performance in Birdman (2014), in which he portrays a talented but volatile actor, as a self-referential nod to his image. Join Facebook to connect with Robin Rouse and others you may know. Impressed by his acting, she introduced Norton to the executives of the noir drama Primal Fear, an adaptation of William Diehl's 1993 novel. ``But justice was finally done in this case.. [155] In 2020 Norton donated $8,400 to Joe Biden 2020 presidential campaign. She ordered him to serve consecutive maximum 40-year sentences. [168] Interview magazine commented that Norton has successfully portrayed a wide range of roles and found it impossible to simply characterize him as a leading man, a villain, or a character actor. [19][124] Following the release of The People vs. Larry Flynt (1996), tabloids spread rumors that Norton and his onscreen co-star Courtney Love were dating. [173] The Daily Telegraph attributed Norton's lack of interest in celebrity status to his family of "distinguished political and social activists. Friends said Bruce was a workaholic who beat his wife. Billy was the only one with answers, and he kept them to himself for 15 years. Grow your brand authentically by sharing brand content with the internets creators. DAILY HERALD FILE, On the day Kurt, Robin and Billy Rouse attended their parents' funeral, Lake County sheriff's detective Chuck Fagan started investigating the heinous crime. Robin Rouse was her daddy's girl. [141] To raise money for the trust, Norton fielded a team of thirty runners for the New York City Marathon on November 1, 2009; the team included himself, three Maasai tribesmen, and fellow celebrity musician Alanis Morissette. I could hear the tension in his voice. [2][3] Incidents include Norton's editing the final cut of American History X (1998), which is 40 minutes longer than director Tony Kaye's version;[34] conflicts with director Brett Ratner on the set of Red Dragon (2002);[62] refusing to promote The Italian Job (2003);[68] and uncredited rewriting of the screenplay for The Incredible Hulk (2008), which angered screenwriter Zak Penn. [127], After Norton had ended his relationship with Love in 1999, he started dating Salma Hayek, with whom he later appeared in the 2002 biopic Frida. [105] This production venture received a mixed response. Ronda Rousey prefers not to return to action in WWE or any form of the fight. [56] The Los Angeles Times also lauded him as an "enormously gifted young actor" who pulled off the character successfully. Robin Rouse, at age 19, died in a single-car crash in Racine County, Wis., in 1983. [138] The initiative was welcomed by many of Norton's fellow celebrities, notably Salma Hayek, Brad Pitt, Danny DeVito, Alicia Silverstone and Robin Williams. After graduating from Yale College in 1991, he worked for a few months in Japan before moving to Manhattan to pursue an acting career. 19 Likes, 4 Comments - Nana (@nanuchi_arts) on Instagram: "Nothing happened. His mother, Lydia Robinson "Robin" (Rouse), was a foundation executive and teacher of English, and a daughter of famed real estate developer James Rouse, who developed Columbia, MD; she passed away of brain . Despite critical plaudits, Norton has gained notoriety for being difficult to work with, including incidents such as editing the final cuts and rewriting screenplays against the will of other producers. Connect with the definitive source for global and local news. [59] The final screenplay, with Norton's contribution, received positive reviews from critics as well as admiration from the film's co-stars including Hayek and Alfred Molina. With the tragedy finally given closure, she smiled. Robin Ashenden. The boys inherited their parent's estate. As an angsty teen, I attended some of the same drinking parties as the Rouse siblings, Kurt, then 20, Robin, 16, and Billy, 15. When Bruce Rouse jolted awake, Billy Rouse fired a second blast at his father, then pulled a knife and plunged it six times into his father's heart, authorities said. When you read 'slave aged eight,' you just want to die. Darlene Rouse and Kurt Rouse. [163], Norton has been regarded as one of the most talented actors of his generation. [156] He also made speeches to encourage voters to support Democratic nominee John Kerry. [5][6][7] His father, Edward Mower Norton Jr., served in Vietnam as a Marine lieutenant before becoming an environmental lawyer and conservation advocate working in Asia and a federal prosecutor in the Carter administration. While in 6th grade, Billy had been sent to the principal's office for setting off a false fire alarm. (Lake County Sheriffs Department). Facebook gives people the power to. politics. "The bad things that happened did not happen in our town," said Weppler, 63, in a phone interview later. He was living on a houseboat in Key West, having squandered his share of the $2 million fortune his father made with a chain of gas stations. she recalled him asking her. They stopped talking to police and refused to take lie detector tests or testify before a grand jury. It was the manager of one The Rouse House Revisited: Unraveling the Enigma of Murder, Police Corruption, and Organized Crime by Terry M. Mors, Ph.D. He was done.". One friend remembered a young Kurt Rouse confronting her at a party when the murders remained unsolved. He was placed in a special school for children with learning and behavioral problems. "A gross delinquent, always in trouble of one kind or another. Edward Norton. Fire destroyed the house in 2002. Around 1975, the couple and their three children moved into a spacious, 13-room colonial mansion nestled by the Des Plaines River at 2057 N. Milwaukee Ave. At age 19, died in a special School for children with learning behavioral. 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