Celebrity Chef Anthony Milan Ross Found Guilty of Christmas Day murders
PHOENIX, AZ – Former celebrity chef Anthony Milan Ross was found guilty Tuesday of three counts of first-degree murder for the Christmas Day 2017 shooting deaths of his estranged wife, Iris Ross, and their two children. Ross, once a prominent figure in the vegan food and lifestyle community, faces life in prison or the death penalty.
The verdict concludes a years-long legal battle following the tragic deaths that shocked the Phoenix area and beyond. Ross shot and killed Iris and their son, nigel Ross, 11, and daughter, Aniyah Ross, 10, at their family home on December 25, 2017. The case highlights the hidden darkness that can exist beneath a public persona of health and wellness, and the devastating consequences of domestic violence.
According to court documents obtained by ABC 15, Ross’s former partner, Wogas, told investigators, “I knew that man was very unstable. I knew he had a very, very dark side. I didn’t know it was this dark.” Wogas also stated that Ross struggled with depression.
Prior to the murders, Ross had been harassing Iris’s roommate, Lushanya Echeverria, who told the arizona Republic that Ross had shown up to pick up their children armed with a gun in the weeks leading up to the shooting.
In addition to the three first-degree murder convictions, Ross was also found guilty of three counts of aggravated assault and 17 counts of assaulting a peace officer. He is scheduled to be sentenced on January 9,2026,and faces either life in prison or death by lethal injection or the gas chamber.
Ross had cultivated a public image as a health and wellness advocate, promoting his 200-pound weight loss through a vegan diet and active lifestyle. He authored the book “The Change: Transforming Yourself and Your Body Into the Person You Want to Be,” and appeared in the 2016 vegan documentary “Eating You Alive,” alongside Samuel L.Jackson and James Cameron. He was a regular presence at food and lifestyle events, including the Scottsdale Food Festival, and frequently featured on local news.
