He Killed His Family Because of Social Media

Added: 2026-05-15

[00:00:00]A social media star who murdered his family in 2017 Sir, your full name and date of birth?

[00:00:08]Anthony Milan Ross. On the outside, Anthony Milan Ross had it all.

[00:00:13]If you scrolled through his social media in 2017, you saw a man who had transformed his life.

[00:00:20]He was a famous vegan chef, a weight loss inspiration who dropped over 200 lb, and a motivational speaker telling the world that anything was possible if you just had enough love and discipline.

[00:00:33]But while thousands of followers were liking his photos and buying into his peaceful lifestyle, a nightmare was brewing behind closed doors.

[00:00:42]On Christmas day, the mask didn't just slip, it shattered. Within hours, the man the internet loved for his kind soul would become the man the state of Arizona would sentence to death.

[00:00:55]Back here behind me on stove, I have a pot of what I call a drunken stir. How does a man go from posting inspirational Christmas videos to murdering his estranged wife and two young children just minutes later?

[00:01:08]Today, we're looking at the dark reality of Anthony Milan Ross, a story of ego, obsession, and a final judgment that took 9 years to arrive.

[00:01:19]Stay with me because the details of what happened inside that Phoenix apartment will change everything you think you know about social media perfection.

[00:01:28]To understand why this crime shocked the world, you have to understand who Anthony Milan Ross was pretending [music] to be.

[00:01:36]He was a minor celebrity. He'd been featured in feature-length documentaries about plant-based eating.

[00:01:42]He had this deep, booming, charismatic voice that made you feel like he was your best friend.

[00:01:49]But prosecutors later revealed a much darker side. That success he flaunted, it was largely a lie. While he was playing the role of the big shot chef, he was actually living off his wife, Iris Ross.

[00:02:03]Iris was the stable one. She was an executive at a healthcare company, the breadwinner, and by all accounts a devoted mother.

[00:02:11]As Anthony's obsession with fame grew, his grip on reality and his marriage began to fail.

[00:02:17]He wanted to be a star, but he was financing that dream with Iris's hard work. In 2017, Iris finally had enough.

[00:02:26]She filed for divorce. For a man whose entire identity was [music] built on his ego and being the man everyone looked up to, this wasn't just a breakup. To Anthony, this was an insult he couldn't live with.

[00:02:39]It was December 25, 2017.

[00:02:42]Most families were opening presents, but at an apartment complex in Phoenix, the atmosphere was thick with tension.

[00:02:49]Anthony had invited Iris over under the guise of spending Christmas with their kids, 11-year-old Nigel and little 8-month-old Adora. Witnesses later testified they heard an argument outside in the parking lot. Then, the sound of gunfire.

[00:03:05]Anthony shot Iris multiple times as she tried to run away. [music] But the horror was only beginning. After killing his wife in plain sight, Anthony didn't flee. He didn't call for help. He walked back into [music] that apartment.

[00:03:18]Think about that for a second. He had time to realize what he'd done. He had time to stop. Instead, he went inside and took the lives of his own children, Nigel and baby Adora. What followed was a 6-hour standoff with police.

[00:03:33]Anthony barricaded himself inside, occasionally shouting at officers.

[00:03:38]At one point, he even posted a video to Facebook of him and Nigel earlier that day singing Christmas carols. He posted it after the murders had already begun.

[00:03:49]It was a final, sickening attempt to control the narrative, to show the world look what a great dad I am while his family lay dead in the next room.

[00:03:59]Hey guys, it's Myon Ross and I am finally in Albany headed to the house I'm staying in so that I can get freshened up. My flight was a mess. They flew me to Washington D.C. and then cancelled pretty much all [music] the flights out of there. So I drove all night long. It's like 5:30, 6:00 in the morning here in Albany now so that I can make sure that I'm at Plant Stop cuz I'm so excited to meet all of you guys. I'm sitting in the car with my Uber driver.

[00:04:26]Say what's up, man?

[00:04:26]>> What's up, guys? For years this case dragged through the courts. The big question wasn't if he did it. The evidence was overwhelming. But why and what his punishment should be.

[00:04:39]Sir, your full name and date of birth?

[00:04:42]Anthony Myon Ross, 12/30/1971.

[00:04:46]>> [music] >> And can I get appearances starting with the county attorney?

[00:04:50]Kirsten Valenzuela on behalf of the state.

[00:04:53]Thank you.

[00:04:54]I'm Gerald Bradley and Amy Colman representing Mr. Ross. And you guys will be appointed not just for the IA but for the case? That's right. Okay.

[00:05:05]Sir, you are here on a number of counts.

[00:05:08]Uh I'm going to read them off and then I do want to address uh probable cause on these counts. You are here sir on three counts of murder in the first degree, class one felonies. 19 counts of aggravated assault on officers, class five felonies.

[00:05:23]Two counts of aggravated assault, class six felonies. And one count of discharge of a firearm in the city limits, a class six felony.

[00:05:32]I'll start with the county attorney. Do you want to be heard on any probable cause issues on any of these counts?

[00:05:38]>> Anything else from defense counsel? No, ma'am. Okay. We stand in recess on this.

[00:05:41]Please step to the right and sign for your paperwork. Ms. Valenzuela, thank His defense team painted a picture of a man spiraling into madness. They talked about depression, paranoia, and a mental breakdown. They wanted the jury to see a man who wasn't in control of his actions, but the prosecution had a different story.

[00:06:01]They showed a man who was a calculated narcissist. They argued that Anthony killed his family not because he was crazy, but because he was losing control over Iris.

[00:06:12]If he couldn't have his perfect life and his wife's money to fund his fame, then no one could have anything.

[00:06:20]The most heartbreaking [music] part of the trial was hearing from Iris's sister, Laura Sutherland. She had to sit there for years watching the man who destroyed her family try to make excuses. She described [music] the agony of knowing that Anthony had to walk up those stairs, look his 11-year-old son in the eye, and make a choice. It wasn't a snap decision.

[00:06:42]>> [music] >> It was a series of choices.

[00:06:44]That brings us to the recent headlines.

[00:06:47]9 years after that horrific Christmas Day, a jury in Maricopa County finally handed [music] down a sentence.

[00:06:55]In death penalty cases, it only takes one juror to say life in prison [music] to take the death penalty off the table.

[00:07:02]But in this case, the jury was unanimous. There was a moment before the verdict was even read that signaled what was coming.

[00:07:10]The jury sent a note to the judge asking if the defendant was required to stand while the sentence was read. To those in the room, that was the sign. They wanted him to stand and face his fate.

[00:07:22]Anthony Milan Ross was sentenced to death.

[00:07:26]When the words were read, Anthony sat there stone-faced. No tears, no visible regret. But in the jury box, it was a different story. One juror was seen with tears streaming down his face. Even for the people tasked with judging him, the weight of what he did to Nigel and Adora was almost too much to bear.

[00:07:47]So, is it over? In Arizona, an execution usually takes 20 to 25 years because of the appeals process.

[00:07:55]Anthony is 53 now, which means he may very well grow old behind bars before the state ever carries out the sentence.

[00:08:04]For Laura Sutherland and the rest of Iris's family, the sentence is a relief, but it's not a celebration. There are no winners here. A mother and two innocent children are gone because a man couldn't handle the word no.

[00:08:19]It serves as a chilling reminder that the people we see on our screens, the ones preaching peace, love, and transformation aren't always who they claim to be.

[00:08:30]Sometimes, the brightest lights on social media are hiding the darkest shadows.

[00:08:36]Rest in peace, Iris, Nigel, and Adora.

[00:08:39]Justice took 9 years, but it finally arrived.