A celebrity vegan chef, Anthony Milan Ross, has been found guilty of killing his wife and two children on Christmas Day in 2017, nearly eight years after the shocking crime.
Ross, 53, shot his wife, Iris, 38, outside their apartment in Phoenix, Arizona, before locking himself inside the home and holding police in a six-hour standoff. When officers finally entered, they found the bodies of his 11-year-old son, Nigel, and his 9-month-old daughter, Anora.
On Monday, Ross was convicted of three counts of first-degree murder, along with multiple other charges, including 20 counts of assault 17 of them against police officers, according to Law & Crime. His trial began in September.
Prosecutors said Ross’s violent act was triggered by his wife’s decision to file for divorce six months earlier. They also revealed that he had made disturbing internet searches about guns, acids, silencers, and cases of families murdered on Christmas Day.
Maricopa County prosecutor Richard Dusterhoft told the court that Ross had warned people to “expect something big on Christmas.”
Ross, who once appeared in documentaries alongside stars like James Cameron and Samuel L. Jackson, became famous for his vegan lifestyle after losing a large amount of weight. He gave motivational talks about plant-based living and healthy eating.
But behind the scenes, prosecutors said, his life was falling apart. “His five minutes of fame were over,” Dusterhoft said. “The money and the success were all a façade, and so was the perfect family.”
On the morning of the killings, Ross posted a cheerful video of himself and his son singing Santa Claus Is Coming to Town. Hours later, when Iris arrived to pick up the children, witnesses said Ross shot her outside their apartment complex. When asked if she was okay, he replied, “No,” before pointing a gun at bystanders and running inside, where more gunshots were heard.
Police surrounded the building and tried to negotiate with Ross, who at first claimed the children were alive but later admitted to killing them. When officers broke in around 7:30 p.m., they found Iris dead outside and both children dead inside the apartment.
A police officer was hit by shrapnel during the operation but survived. Ross was arrested that night.
During the trial, his defense lawyer, Carrie Gallagher, described the killings as a “tragedy,” arguing that Ross was mentally unstable and not capable of premeditation. She said his insomnia and depression led him to make disturbing online searches.
Prosecutors disagreed, saying the evidence proved Ross planned the murders.
Ross now faces the possibility of the death penalty. His sentencing is scheduled for January 9, 2026.
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Wow 😳
Terrible.