Overview
- A Maricopa County jury delivered the death penalty Thursday on all three murder counts after two days of deliberations.
- The court also imposed an 18-year prison term for aggravated-assault convictions tied to an hourslong standoff where Ross shot at Phoenix police.
- Prosecutors said Ross shot 38-year-old Iris Ross in a parking lot near 16th Street and Highland Avenue, then went inside and killed 11-year-old Nigel and 8-month-old Anora.
- The defense argued severe mental illness and no premeditation, while prosecutors said the murders were deliberate and part of a pattern of abuse after Iris ended the relationship.
- Under Arizona law, the death sentences now face automatic review by higher courts, beginning a lengthy appeals process.