Anthony Milan Ross, a celebrity chef based in Arizona, was found guilty of murdering his estranged wife, Iris, and their two kids, Nigel and Anora, on Christmas day in 2017. On November 3, 2025, a Maricopa County jury convicted Ross on three counts of first-degree murder, three counts of aggravated assault, and 17 counts of aggravated assault on a peace officer.
Christmas Day Slaying
The day before the murders, Christmas Eve, Ross posted a video of himself and his 11-year-old son, Nigel, on Instagram, wishing everyone a merry Christmas. The two were singing a holiday classic, “Santa Claus is Coming to Town.” In the clip, Ross is seen laughing, saying, “I’m smiling and hanging out with Nigel on Christmas Eve, and we are about to embarrass ourselves.” The two then proceed to sing.
The following day, 38-year-old Iris Ross was found lying outside on the front patio of Ross’ Phoenix apartment with clear bullet wounds. Witnesses reported to the authorities that they saw Ross shoot his estranged wife as she attempted to run away.
After he shot her, he went into his apartment, where witnesses heard two to three more shots ring out. Unfortunately, police discovered the bodies of his two children in separate rooms in the home. Following their discovery, it was reported that he shot at Phoenix Police officers who fired back, leading to an hours-long standoff.
Murder Trial of Anthony Milan Ross
Ross’s murder trial began in September 2025, nearly eight years after the murders of his family. Opening statements began discussing his celebrity status as a vegan chef in Arizona, a motivational speaker, and an entrepreneur who encouraged a plant-based lifestyle. It slowly transitioned into a series of questions and concerns about his motive. “He thought about it before he did it. He meant to do it, and then he did it. Why?” Maricopa County prosecutor Richard Dusterhoft told the court.
According to the prosecution, Ross was dependent on his estranged wife and her income to keep up with his lifestyle after she filed for divorce in 2017.
“His five minutes of daytime TV fame was up. The money, the success — all a facade. And so was the perfect family,” Dusterhoft said. They allege that he hatched a plan to murder his wife and cash in. “He told people, ‘Expect something big on Christmas,’” Dusterhoft said. He then referred to the premeditation where Ross allegedly looked up guns, battery acid, sulfuric acid, and news on a different man who killed his family on Christmas Day.
Ross’s defense attorney Carrie Gallagher dismissed those internet searches, claiming they were done during the time he battled with mental health and went through periods of “poor sleep or even no sleep.” Apparently, he had proposed to his girlfriend days before and adopted a dog together. “During the same period of time that Milan [Ross’ middle name as he was known professionally] was researching online, he was also engaging in future-oriented activities, and he was generally planning for the future,” she said
Divorce Drove Him to It
Gallagher also mentioned that Ross was depressed and intoxicated the morning of Christmas in 2017, claiming he had drunk half a bottle of whiskey and messaged his estranged wife before the killings. However, Iris’s sister, Mary Wogas, reported that Ross was acting erratically and strangely, threatening her sister after she filed for divorce in June.
In December 2017, after the murders, Wogas told ABC 15 Arizona, “One minute he was yelling at her, calling her a ‘whore,’ and the next minute wanting to tell her he loved her and wanted them to be a family unit,” adding, “He would also claim that he was working with a voodoo priest in New Orleans to put a hex on her. Just very, very dark, very dark intentions.”
