Willowbrook Man Pleads Guilty to 2014 Murder of Ex: State's Attorney

A Willowbrook man admitted Wednesday to the first-degree murder of his ex in 2014, DuPage County State's Attorney Robert Berlin announced in a release.

Dean Norris, 61, entered a blind plea of guilty to the charges, Berlin said, two years after 45-year-old Vanessa Cross was found strangled to death in the home the pair used to share in Willowbrook. Norris was caught the day of the murder and has been in DuPage County Jail ever since. His bond was set at $2 million.

According to the release, the DuPage County Sheriff's Office responded to a call around 2 p.m. Dec. 17, 2014, requesting a wellbeing check for Cross. Upon their arrival, officers found Cross laying in the living room, dead.

Further investigation revealed that Cross and Norris had had a verbal argument earlier that day that had turned violent. Norris was seen running across a parking lot near the couple's home and was stopped by police and arrested shortly after.

"This afternoon, Dean Norris admitted that he is responsible for the murder of Vanessa Cross," Berlin said in the release. “While nothing can be done to bring Vanessa back, perhaps with this admission, those who loved Vanessa will be able to gain some measure of closure knowing the man responsible for murder will be held accountable."

Norris is next expected in court Feb. 23. He's facing a prison sentence of between 20 and 60 years in the Illinois Department of Corrections.

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