A renowned vegan chef has been convicted of murdering his entire family, nearly eight years after the horrific events unfolded on Christmas Day.

Anthony Milan Ross, aged 53, shot and killed his wife Iris, 38, outside their Phoenix, Arizona apartment on December 25, 2017. Following this, he engaged in a tense six-hour standoff with law enforcement, barricading himself inside the residence.

When authorities finally breached the apartment, they were met with the tragic discovery of Ross’s 11-year-old son, Nigel, and 9-month-old daughter, Anora, both deceased.

This past Monday, the once-celebrated chef was convicted of three counts of first-degree murder along with over two dozen related charges connected to the horrific crime, as reported by Law & Crime.

Among his convictions are three counts of aggravated assault and 17 counts of aggravated assault on law enforcement officers. These verdicts were reached after a trial that commenced in September.

The prosecution argued that the catalyst for this tragic chain of events was Iris’s decision to initiate divorce proceedings just six months prior.

Ross’s chilling plan, prosecutors revealed, began with disturbing internet searches for firearms, battery acid, sulfuric acid, skin-melting acid, silencers and even cases of families murdered on Christmas Day. 

During the trial, Maricopa County prosecutor Richard Dusterhoft revealed that Ross had ominously warned others to ‘expect something big on Christmas.’

Anthony Milan Ross (pictured), 53, an Arizona celebrity vegan chef, was found guilty of three counts of first-degree murder on Monday – nearly eight years after slaughtering his entire family on Christmas Day

Ross gunned down his wife, Iris, 38, outside their Phoenix apartment complex (pictured) on December 25, 2017, before barricading himself inside for a tense six-hour standoff with police

Prosecutors said the catalyst for the family annihilation was his wife’s decision to file for divorce just six months before the holiday season massacre (pictured: the family)

According to Dusterhoft, Ross was fixated on his celebrity persona, fueled by weight-loss motivational speeches, but relied on his estranged wife, Iris, to bankroll the lifestyle he craved. Then, she filed for divorce.

‘His five minutes of daytime TV fame was up. The money, the success – all a façade. And so was the perfect family,’ he said. 

On Christmas Day 2017, Ross posted a seemingly heartwarming video of himself and his young son singing ‘Santa Claus Is Coming to Town,’ sending holiday greetings to friends and family.

Iris went to collect her two children later that afternoon, but just hours later, witnesses watched in horror as Ross shot her dead outside the apartment complex as she tried to escape.

When asked if she was okay, the father-of-two reportedly replied ‘no’ and pointed a gun at witnesses before going inside his apartment, where bystanders said they heard two or three more gunshots, according to police. 

Authorities arrived at the apartment around 4pm that afternoon and found Iris’s body lying outside the complex. 

Police then spent hours negotiating with Ross, holding out hope that either one or both children were still alive inside.

He eventually admitted to killing the children, Sgt. Jonathan Howard said, but only after repeatedly changing his story – first claiming they were alive and even threatening to kill them if police didn’t leave.

Ross’s (pictured) chilling plan, prosecutors revealed, began with disturbing internet searches for firearms, battery acid, sulfuric acid, skin-melting acid, silencers and even cases of families murdered on Christmas Day

When police finally broke into the apartment, they also discovered the bodies of Ross’s 11-year-old son, Nigel, and 9-month-old daughter, Anora (pictured: Iris, Nigel and Anora)

Ross’s (pictured) other convictions include three counts of aggravated assault and 17 counts of aggravated assault on a police officer – charges on which he was found guilty following a trial that began in September

Hours into the standoff, a robot deployed by the Special Assignments Unit revealed the grim truth: the infant, Anora, was dead. 

‘Throughout the negotiations, he made comments that he had killed the children. He made some notifications to some family members that he had killed the children,’ Howard said.

Iris’s sister, Mary Wogas, was among the family members who received a chilling text from Ross that afternoon, ABC15 News reported. 

‘Two messages, first one saying ”I just killed Iris and the kids”. The second message was ”with a gun.” 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 told the outlet. 

At around 7.30pm, authorities cut the power and entered the apartment while coming under gunfire from the suspect. 

Just minutes later, officers discovered Nigel in another room, also shot and killed. 

During the shootout, a 46-year-old veteran officer who had served for 23 years, was struck by shrapnel and transported to the hospital in a stable condition. 

Ross was ultimately taken into custody, though his trial did not begin until more than five years later. 

On Christmas Day 2017, Ross posted a seemingly heartwarming video of himself and his young son singing ‘Santa Claus Is Coming to Town’ (pictured) just hours before the killings 

Iris went to collect her two children later that afternoon, but just hours later, witnesses watched in horror as Ross (pictured) shot her dead outside the apartment complex before rushing back inside. Then, witnesses said they heard two or three more gunshots

Hours into the standoff, a robot deployed by the Special Assignments Unit revealed the grim truth: the infant, Anora, was dead. Shortly after, officers discovered Nigel (pictured with Ross) in another room, also shot and killed

During the trial, prosecutors alleged that Ross had premeditated the murders as part of a twisted revenge plot. 

‘He thought about it before he did it. He meant to do it, and then he did it. Why?’ Dusterhoft said in his opening statement, per AZ Central.

Carrie Gallagher, the chef’s defense attorney, warned the jury of grisly details ahead, calling the events a ‘tragedy,’ while insisting the murders were not planned. 

‘There is a difference, however, between rumination and premeditation,’ she said, noting that prosecutors had to prove Ross premeditated the murders for it to constitute first-degree murder.  

Ross, widely known as Milan to his fans, lost a dramatic amount of weight in his 20s after adopting a vegan lifestyle. 

He then went on to become a chef and began producing inspirational videos and writings about his transformation and plant-based journey. 

His story even earned him a spot alongside celebrities like James Cameron and Samuel L. Jackson in a feature-length documentary on veganism. 

According to Gallagher, Ross’s mental health deteriorated rapidly in 2017, triggering insomnia that she said could account for some of his haunting online searches. 

According to Ross’s (pictured with son) defense attorney, his mental health deteriorated rapidly in 2017, triggering insomnia that she said could account for some of his haunting online searches

Ross (pictured) was convicted on all counts Monday and now faces the possibility of the death penalty. His sentencing is scheduled for January 9, 2026

Ross (pictured before and after) lost a dramatic amount of weight in his 20s after adopting a vegan lifestyle. He went on to become a chef and began producing inspirational videos about his plant-based journey

‘You will see that much of this behavior, these searches, were done during periods when [he] had poor sleep or even no sleep,’ she said. 

Gallagher said the internet searches reflected ‘obsessive thoughts’ that some people may cope with by looking them up, but they do not necessarily show that Ross planned to carry out the killings. 

‘During the same period of time that Milan was researching online, he was also engaging in future-oriented activities, and he was generally planning for the future,’ she argued.

She said these ‘future plans’ included adopting a dog, planning to meet up with friends after the holidays, writing himself a check for his business and proposing to his girlfriend days before the slayings. 

On the morning of the murders, Ross awoke in a state of deep depression and, after consuming a bottle of whiskey, messaged Iris about the anguish of their separation, Gallagher said.  

After a heated legal battle, Ross was convicted on all counts Monday and now faces the possibility of the death penalty. 

His sentencing is scheduled for January 9, 2026.