On Christmas Day of 2017, Anthony Milan Ross posted a video of himself singing a carol with his son Nigel

A few hours later Ross gunned down his estranged wife Iris, their son Nigel, 11, and their ten-month old daughter Anora at his apt in Phoenix, Arizona

Convicted in November 2025 on three counts of first-degree murder, a jury on Thursday handed down a death sentence

Ross, a TV personality who appeared on Good Morning America, had split from his wife six months earlier

When Iris came to pick up the kids that night from his apt, the two discussed their failed marriage

After she spurned his plea for reconciliation, a belligerent Ross shot her as she tried to run away

Pursuing her into the parking lot, he fired several times into Iris after she fell to the ground, before returning to his apt to kill his two children

Prosecutors accused him of being obsessed with being a celebrity, a world that crashed after Iris filed for divorce

His ex-wife they said, funded his minor celebrity lifestyle which also included his authoring a book on his vegan lifestyle

In addition to the death penalty, Ross was also sentenced to 18 years in prison on the aggravated assault charges

Ross and his son Nigel are seen here in a video he shared to his Facebook on December 25, 2017. Hours later he killed Nigel along his estranged wife and their infant daughter

An TV chef who posted a video of himself singing a Christmas carol with his son hours before massacring his family was given a death sentence by a jury in Maricopa County. 
Anthony Milan Ross then 45, gunned down his estranged wife Iris, 38, their son Nigel, 11, and their ten-month old daughter, Anora, on December 25, 2017, in Phoenix, Arizona. 
Just hours before the Christmas Day rampage, Ross had shared a video of himself and his son singing ‘Santa Claus Is Comin’ to Town’ as they wished his followers a happy holiday. 

Iris was estranged from Anthony Ross. She was at his apt in Phoenix to collect their kids on Christmas Day. When she rebuffed his attempts at reconciliation and tried to get away. He shot her and both of their children [photo]

Nine years ago Ross was a 45-year-old vegan chef, motivational speaker and entrepreneur who promoted a plant-based lifestyle using his middle name, and claimed to have lost 300 lbs. after cutting out meat and dairy. He was a TV personality who appeared on Good Morning America.
Ross had split from his wife Iris six months previously. When she came to pick up the kids that night from his apartment, the two discussed their failed marriage. She told him she would not take him back. 
Investigators said that is when Ross opened fire on her as she tried to run away. He fired several rounds into her after she fell to the ground, in the full view of several witnesses. 
Prosecutors said that his son put up his hand in an attempt to defend himself from his father. 
After killing his two kids, Ross was seen returning to the parking lot and going through his ex wife’s pants pockets.
He was approached by two witnesses who inquired if Iris was okay.’No’ he responded, pointing a gun at them, causing them to flee. 

According to prosecutors, Nigel, [right], put up his hand in an attempt to defend himself from his dad on the day Ross [center], shot him and his bay sister after first shooting their mom [left]

Ross returned to his apartment. Neighbors heard three more shots as he murdered his two children.
He was arrested after an hours-long standoff with local police.
After six hours officers made entry into the apartment where Ross fired multiple gunshots at them until he ran out of ammunition. 
He was booked on suspicion of murdering his children and his ex-wife as well as 19 counts of aggravated assault on an officer and one count of discharging a firearm within city limits.

Defense attorneys argued that Ross was suffering from depression and paranoia at the time, that the killings were not premeditated

Prosecutors said during his trial that the defendant’s motivation was his obsession with being a celebrity. His success was basically a facade, they argued since his ex-wife was funding his minor celebrity lifestyle which also included writing a book on his vegan lifestyle. 
This world came crashing down when Iris filed for divorce six months prior to the killings, prosecutors said.
Defense attorneys insisted Ross who had been and had been drinking on the day of the shootings, was suffering from depression and paranoia at the time and the killings were not premeditated.
Last year November, Ross was found guilty of all charges, which included three counts of first-degree murder, two of aggravated assault, and 18 counts of aggravated assault. 

Jury dismissed the ‘diminished capacity due to mental health’ defense and convicted Ross on three counts of first-degree murder in November 2025. On May 7, the jury decided he should die for the killings, with an additional 18-year prison sentence on the aggravated assault charges.

On Thursday Ross, 54, was handed a death sentence by a Maricopa County jury on three counts of first-degree murder.
In addition to the death penalty, Ross was also sentenced to 18 years in prison on the aggravated assault charges.  
In a statement, Maricopa County Attorney Rachel Mitchell said: ‘This defendant was supposed to protect his family; instead, he made a deliberate choice to take their lives on Christmas Day when his wife wouldn’t take him back.
‘Today’s sentence reflects the gravity of what he did, and he deserves the ultimate punishment.’