An Arizona man who once gained attention as a vegan chef and motivational speaker has been convicted of murdering his estranged wife and their two young children on Christmas Day in 2017.
On Monday, Nov. 3, a Maricopa County jury found 53-year-old Anthony Milan Ross guilty of three counts of first-degree murder for the deaths of his ex-wife, Iris, and their children, 11-year-old Nigel and 10-month-old Anora, according to AZ Family.
Ross was also convicted of three counts of aggravated assault related to the killings, as well as 17 counts of aggravated assault on police officers. Authorities said he exchanged gunfire with Phoenix Police Department officers during an hours-long standoff after they entered his apartment, AZ Family reported.
The killings came just one day after Ross posted an Instagram video featuring himself and his son, Nigel, singing “Santa Claus is Coming to Town” and wishing viewers a merry Christmas. Laughing, Ross said in the video that they were about to “embarrass” themselves by singing together.
The following day, 38-year-old Iris Ross was found shot dead on the front patio of her ex-husband’s Phoenix apartment. Witnesses told police they saw Ross shoot her as she tried to run away. Officers later discovered the bodies of the couple’s two children inside the apartment, each in a separate room.
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The trial began in September 2024, with prosecutors emphasizing Ross’ former public image as a celebrity vegan cook featured in the 2016 documentary Eating You Alive, The Arizona Republic reported.
“He thought about it before he did it. He meant to do it, and then he did it. Why?” prosecutor Richard Dusterhoft told the jury. Dusterhoft argued that Ross depended on his estranged wife financially to sustain his lifestyle after his brief moment of fame had faded.
“His five minutes of daytime TV fame was up,” Dusterhoft said. “The money, the success — all a facade. And so was the perfect family.”
Prosecutors also claimed Ross had told others to “expect something big on Christmas,” alleging he researched weapons and violent incidents online in the days before the murders.
Defense attorney Carrie Gallagher countered that Ross’ online searches reflected deteriorating mental health, sleep deprivation, and emotional instability. She said he had recently proposed to his girlfriend, adopted a dog, and appeared to be making plans for the future. Gallagher also noted that Ross had consumed a significant amount of alcohol and was deeply depressed before the killings.
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Following Iris’ death, her sister, Mary Wogas, described Ross’ behavior as increasingly volatile and threatening after Iris filed for divorce in June 2017. Wogas told ABC 15 Arizona that he would swing between verbal abuse and declarations of love, and at one point claimed he had worked with a voodoo priest to “put a hex” on her sister.
The Clerk of Superior Court, Maricopa County, Phoenix Police Department, and the Maricopa County Sheriff’s Office did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
