"COWARD'S EXIT: HOT CAR DAD KILLS HIMSELF BEFORE PRISON & VEGAN CHEF GUILTY OF CHRISTMAS FAMILY MASSACRE"

0:03 Caaleruga Shark Media. Good morning, I'm Red Carter. Monday November tenth, twenty twenty five. Wednesday morning, Phoenix, Arizona, Christopher Schultz, thirty eight years old, was supposed to walk into Pima County Superior Court and surrender to custody. He'd pleaded guilty to second degree murder in October, facing twenty to thirty years in prison. Sentencing scheduled for November twenty first, but Sholties never showed up because Tuesday night, he took the coward's way out killed himself at his one million dollar home, found dead around five am Wednesday. The crime he was supposed to answer for July ninth, twenty twenty four, scorching Arizona summer one hundred nine degrees. Scholtes left his two year old daughter, Parker, in the car air conditioning on, said he'd be right back, then spent over three hours inside drinking beer, playing PlayStation, and watching pornography. The car's engine automatically shut off after thirty minutes. He knew it would.

1:10 He'd done it before. Parker roasted to death body temperature one hundred eight point nine degrees when paramedics arrived. Now he's dead, never served a day in prison. His seventeen year old daughter from a previous marriage told her guardian she wasn't surprised. I knew he was going to do this, she said, now she wants to fight her stepmother for custody of her half sisters. And Monday morning, another father answered for his crimes. Anthony Milan Ross, fifty three year old celebrity vegan chef, found guilty of three counts of first degree murder December twenty fifth, twenty seventeen, Christmas Day, posted a video that morning singing Santa Claus Is coming to town with his eleven year old son Nigel, smiling, wishing everyone happy holidays. Hours later, he shot his estranged wife Iris outside their Phoenix apartment, then went inside and murdered Nigel and nine month old daughter Anorra. Six hours stand off with police, shot at officers, all three family members dead. Google search history revealed he'd been planning it for weeks, search for firearms, battery acid, sulfuric acid, skin melting acid, silencers, and specifically families murdered on Christmas Day.

2:28 Prosecutor said he warned others to expect something big on Christmas sentencing scheduled for January ninth, twenty twenty six. Arizona has the death penalty. I'm red Carter today. Two fathers, two family annihilators. One took the coward's exit, the other will face justice. This is celebrity trials. Let's start with Christopher Schultez because this story is infuriating on every level. July ninth, twenty twenty four, Marana, Arizona, north of Tucson, summer in the desert. Temperature that day hit one hundred nine degrees, the kind of heat that kills. Christopher Schulte's thirty seven at the time, had three daughters, ages nine, five, and two. Two year old Parker was the youngest. That morning, Parker's older sisters went to a trampoline park with friends unsupervised, because apparently leaving children unattended was just standard operating procedure in the Schultz's household, Schultz took Parker with him to run errands. Security footage from that morning shows him at multiple locations with Parker in the back seat. Around noon, he stopped at a gas station on West Twin Peaks Road twelve oh seven pm to twelve ten PM, walked straight to the beer cooler, grabbed three cans, went into the bathroom, emerged with fewer cans than he went in with, shoplifted beer, left the store without paying, Parker waiting in the car the entire time. Then he drove to a

3:59 grocery store, more shoplifting, more beer. Parker, still in the car alone, two years old, strapped in her car seat, finally arrived home at twelve fifty three pm. Security footage from neighbors homes confirms the exact time, not one thirty, not two thirty, twelve fifty three. This will be important later, Parker was asleep, Schultez made a decision. Instead of waking her up and bringing her inside, he left her in the twenty twenty three Acura engine, running air conditioning on. Figured she'd be fine. He'd done this before. Here's what Schultes knew. The car had an automatic shut off feature.

4:40 After thirty minutes, the engine would turn off. He knew this from previous experience, had been warned about it. Did it anyway. He went inside the house. Older daughters arrived home shortly after from the trampoline park. They all went inside together. Nobody checked on Parker. So what did Christopher Schultz do for the next three hours while his two year old daughter baked to death in a car. He drank the beer he'd stolen. He played PlayStation, He searched the internet for video games and men's clothing at Nordstrom, he watched pornography. From two two pm to two thirty pm, he was actively viewing adult videos. The car's air conditioning shut off around one twenty three pm, thirty minutes after he got home. Parker was now trapped in a car in one hundred nine degree heat, no air circulation, windows up, direct sunlight, a literal oven. Around four pm, doctor Erica Schultez arrived home from work. She's an anesthesiologist at Banner University Medical Center. She came inside asked where Parker was, the question every mother asks when she gets home. Where's the baby? Christopher Froze suddenly remembered, ran outside. The other daughters ran outside. Erica ran outside. Parker was in the car, limp unresponsive, body temperature one one hundred eight point nine degrees.

6:02 Erica immediately started CPR. Christopher called nine to one one four five PM. Paramedics arrived rushed Parker to Banner University Medical Center. The same hospital where her mother worked, same emergency room where Erica saved lives every day. They couldn't save Parker. Pronounce dead within an hour. Pima County Medical Examiner confirmed cause of death heat exposure. The toddler had been in that car for over three hours. Temperature inside the vehicle peaked at over one hundred eight degrees. Body camera footage shows Christopher's Schulties in the immediate aftermath, pacing frantic, telling police this was his worst nightmare. At one point, officers told him he couldn't take a shower, couldn't be left alone evidence collection standard procedure in a death investigation.

6:54 Schulti's got angry. So I'm being treated like a murderer, yes, because as you are one. Initially, Schulte's told detectives he arrived home around two thirty PM only left Parker in the car for thirty to forty five minutes max. But security footage proved he was lying. Arrived at twelve fifty three pm. Car never moved again. Parker was alone for three hours and twelve minutes. When confronted with the timeline, Schulte's changed his story, admitted he lost track of time, was distracted playing video games, putting food away, forgot she was in the car. But here's what makes this so much worse. This wasn't the first time. Schultez's two older daughters told police their father regularly left all three of them in the car. He got distracted by playing his game and putting his food away. One of them said, that's how he made my baby sister die. The other daughter said their parents fought constantly about Shulty's drinking and his habit of leaving the kids in the car. My mom told him to stop doing this. He still drinks too much beer, and he keeps leaving us in the car when my mom told him to stop. Text messages between Christopher and Erica confirmed the pattern. After Parker died, Erica texted him, I told you to stop leaving them in the car. How many times have I told you?

8:19 Christopher replied, Babe, I'm sorry. How could I do this? I killed our baby. This can't be real. But those texts weren't just from July ninth, twenty twenty four. They went back months years. March eleventh, twenty twenty three, Erica texted Christopher, you haven't shown me you can stop putting the girls in danger or not treat me badly. Even yesterday you drove home drunk with two miners. You drink to excess every time, you can never have just one. I've been asking for three years to cut back, and it's actually gotten worse. Christopher promised to find relief and happiness elsewhere. Erica countered that the last time he did he did that, he replaced booze with cocaine. At least this one is legal, right, Christopher replied, I'm a piece of shit addict, and I need to get addicted to healthy things like running again. Ten days later, March twenty first, twenty twenty three, Erica texted Christopher furious about him driving one hundred and thirty eight miles per hour after drinking with Parker in the car. Shitty decisions, Christopher's response, You hate me and she was sleeping. It's fine. Make it make sense. A father admits he's an addict, admits he drives drunk with his children, admits he leaves them in cars.

9:40 His wife begs him to stop, he doesn't, and then Parker dies exactly the way everyone knew she would. July twenty twenty four, Christopher Schulte's arrested for second degree murder. But here's where the system failed again. He was released without bond, never spend a day behind bars, got to go home, got to live in his house, got to see his surviving daughters. March twenty twenty five, prosecutors offered him a plea deal, plead guilty to second degree murder, served ten to twenty five years. He rejected it, said he wanted to go to trial, claimed it was an accident.

10:26 His case was upgraded to first degree murder after a grand jury indictment. Trial scheduled to begin October twenty twenty five, but just days before trial, Christopher changed his mind accepted a worse plea deal, plead guilty to second degree murder and felony child abuse, twenty to thirty years in prison, sentences to run consecutively October twenty second, twenty twenty five. Sentencing scheduled for November twenty first, but judge ordered him to surrender to custody on November sixth. Would be taken into custody immediately held until formal sentencing. In the meantime, while awaiting surrender, Schultis and his wife, Erica, had moved packed up everything left Marana, drove ninety four miles to Phoenix, bought a one point zero two five million dollar house, four bedrooms, two thy three hundred sixty nine square feet, brand new life, Fresh start. The legal bills must have been brutal. Schulties pleaded not guilty. Initially hired expensive defense attorneys, rejected the first plea deal, went all the way to the edge of trial before accepting a worse deal. All of that costs money, but they had money. Erica is a doctor anesthesiologist six figure salary. They could afford, the house, could afford, the lawyers could afford to pretend everything was fine while they were out on bail. The court even gave them permission to take a vacation Hawaii, Maui. Christopher,

11:59 Erica and their two surviving daughters family trip making memories, because apparently killing your toddler doesn't disqualify you from tropical getaways. While awaiting sentencing your tax dollars at work. Tuesday night, November fifth, twenty twenty five, Christopher Schultees took his own life at the Phoenix house. Details aren't public yet, his family told The Daily Mail he took an overdose of pills exact method doesn't really matter. Dead is dead. Wednesday morning, November sixth, Phoenix police responded to the home near Seventh Street and Northern Avenue around five am. Found Schult's body pronounced dead at the scene. Christopher Schultz was supposed to appear in court that morning. Judge Kimberly or Tees took the bench. Prosecutors were there, defense attorneys were there. Everyone waiting.

12:49 Then the judge recessed. Immediately, prosecutors and defense hustled into chambers. Came out minutes later, looking shaken. Judge or Tez vacated the hearing, kept the sentencing date of No. Two twenty first on the calendar. Nobody explained what happened. Representatives from the Pima County Attorney's office said to expect a statement. Hours later, Pima County Attorney Laura Conover released a video statement. We expected to be in court this morning because the father had accepted a plea agreement to second degree murder, which could have carried as much as thirty years in prison, instead of coming in to take account for what has occurred here. We have been informed, and we have confirmed that the father took his own life last night Connover said, prosecutors and a senior victim advocate drove to Marana to deliver the news to Parker's grandmother, Christopher's mother, the woman who gave him the life he threw away. This is obviously extraordinarily complicated, and we extend our deepest sympathies and sorrow to all the loved ones who have suffered the loss of this beautiful baby girl and now another loss to his family. Conover said, this little girl's voice was nearly silenced because justice was not served appropriately this morning.

14:02 Then Conover addressed Parker's surviving sisters directly. May you be surrounded by love. May you receive all of the support you deserve and need, and then some May you know and believe that you can survive and thrive when you look back on this time as the years follow, May you not feel tied down by what happened here, but rather lifted up by your baby sister's wings. Beautiful words, but they don't change the outcome. Christopher Schulties will never serve a day in prison, never face the consequences of his actions, never sit in a cell and think about what he did to Parker. He took the coward's exit.

14:43 His seventeen year old daughter from a previous marriage wasn't surprised. Lindsay Eisenberg, the teen's former guardian, told The Daily Mail. She broke the news about Christopher's suicide. She said, I knew he was going to do this. I knew he was going to commit suicide. Then she asked for her Her sisters were okay. The teenager also sued Christopher and Erica last week civil lawsuit for emotional distress, claims she suffered abuse at their hands, seeking damages over Parker's death. Neither Christopher nor Erica responded before he killed himself. Now, the teen wants to pursue the civil suit against Erica even harder. She wants to fight her for custody of her little sisters when she's eighteen and two weeks. Eisenberg said.

15:26 Erica Schultez is hold up in the Phoenix house with the two surviving daughters. Whether she was home when Christopher killed himself isn't clear. There's no suggestion of wrongdoing on her part. She's never faced criminal charges, but she enabled him. Those text messages proved she knew he was dangerous, knew he left the kids in cars, knew he drove, drunk with them, stayed with him anyway. Parker Schulte's was two years old. Should be three now, Should be learning to talk in full sentences, Should be playing with her sisters, should be excited for Christmas. Should be alive. Instead, she died slowly in the backseat of a car while her father drank stolen beer and watched pornography. She was two years old. Rest in peace, Parker. Your father escaped justice, but someone has to say your name. Welcome back to celebrity trials. I'm reed Carter, Monday, November fourth, twenty twenty five, Maricopa County Superior Court, Phoenix, Arizona. After a trial that began in September, a jury returned with their verdict. Anthony Milan Ross fifty three years old, celebrity vegan, chef, author, motivational speaker famous for his dramatic weight loss transformation, lost over one hundred pounds in his twenties by adopting a plant based diet, wrote cookbooks, made television appearances, featured in

16:57 a documentary alongside James Cameron and Samuel L. Jackson. The jury found him guilty on all counts three counts of first degree murder, three counts of aggravated assault, seventeen counts of aggravated assault on a peace officer. The victims his estranged wife, Iris Ross, thirty eight, his son Nigel eleven, his daughter a Nora, nine months old. The date December twenty fifth, twenty seventeen, Christmas Day. Sentencing scheduled for January ninth, twenty twenty six. Ross faces the death penalty. Here's what happened. June twenty seventeen, Iris Ross filed for divorce from Anthony six months before the murders. They'd been married for years had two children together, but according to Iris's sister, Mary Wogas, Ross had been acting erratically, threatening, unstable. One minute he was yelling at her, calling her a whore, and the next minute wanting to tell her he loved her and wanted them to be a fan family unit. Wogus told ABC fifteen. He would also claim that he was working with a voodoo priest in New Orleans to put a hex on her. Just very very dark, very dark intentions.

18:12 According to prosecutors, Ross was obsessed with his celebrity status. His success was built on motivational speeches about weight loss, inspirational videos about plant based living, television appearances, book deals, fame, but it was all a facade. He relied on iris financially. She was a director and healthcare administrator, made real money, bankrolled the lifestyle he craved. When she filed for divorce, his world collapsed. His five minutes of daytime TV fame was up. The money, the success all a facade, and so was the perfect family. Prosecutor Richard Dusterhoff told the jury and opening statements, Ross didn't take it well, started searching the Internet for ways to kill. Prosecutors presented him his Google search history to the jury firearms, battery acid, sulfuric acid, skin melting acid, silencers, and specifically cases of families murdered on Christmas Day. He thought about it before he did it. He meant to do it, and then he did it. Why, Dusterhoft asked the jury. Dusterhoft also revealed Ross had warned others to expect something big on Christmas.

19:28 Not subtle, not ambiguous, a direct warning that something terrible was coming. Defense attorney Carry Gallagher argued Ross's mental health had deteriorated in twenty seventeen insomnia depression. The Google searches reflected obsessive thoughts rather than actual planning. Said he was engaging in future oriented activities, adopted a dog, proposed to his girlfriend three days before Christmas, planning to meet friends after the holidays, writing checks for his business. There is a difference between rumination and premeditation, Gallagher told the jury, but the prosecution had receipts literal digital receipts. Christmas Eve twenty seventeen, Ross posted a video on Facebook, him and eleven year old Nigel standing together smiling. Hey guys, I'm smiling and I'm hanging out with Nigel on Christmas Eve.

20:23 We're going to embarrass ourselves. We're going to sing. They sang, Santa Claus is coming to town. Wished family and friends happy holidays. Looked like a perfect father son moment, holiday cheer, family togetherness. Hours later, Iris went to Ross's apartment to pick up the children she had custody. Christmas Day visitation arrived around four pm. Witnesses outside the apartment complex saw what happened next. Ross confronted Iris. They argued, she tried to run. Ross pulled out a gun, shot her multiple times. She fell outside the building dead. A witness yelled, is she okay. Ross turned to them, guns still in hand, said no, pointed the weapon at witnesses. They scattered. Ross ran back inside the apartment. Witnesses heard two or three more gunshots from inside. Phoenix police arrived around four pm.

21:18 Found Iris's body on the front patio, blood everywhere. Ross barricaded inside with the children for six hours. Police negotiated spent the evening trying to talk Ross into surrendering. He kept changing his story. First said the children were alive, threatened to kill them if police didn't leave, then said they were already dead, then changed his story again. 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. Sergeant Jonathan Howard told reporters Mary Wagas, Iris's sister, received chilling text messages that afternoon. Two messages. First, I just killed Iris and the kids. Second with a gun.

22:04 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 said. Hours into the standoff, police deployed a robot. Special Assignments Unit sent it into the apartment to assess the situation. The robot found nine month old in Nora dead shot. Around seven thirty pm, police cut the power to the apartment, breached the door, entered Ross opened fire, shot at officers. They returned fire chaos, gunshots, screaming. One officer struck by shrapnel. Forty six year old veteran with twenty three years on the force transported to the hospital in stable condition. Police subdued Ross, took him into custody, then found Nigel in another room, shot dead. Three bodies one Christmas Day, one father who decided if he couldn't have his family, nobody would. Anthony any Milan Ross was arrested, charged with three counts of first degree murder, three counts of aggravated assault, seventeen counts of aggravated assault on a peace officer. January twenty eighteen, Ross appeared in court in a wheelchair, handcuffed, plead not guilty. Trial wouldn't begin for over seven years. September twenty twenty five, trial finally started, eight years after the murders. Prosecutors laid out their case Google searches, text messages, witness testimony, video of Ross and Nigel singing Christmas Carol's hours before the massacre. The internet

23:37 searches for families murdered on Christmas Day. The warning to expect something big on Christmas. Defense argued depression mental health crisis. Insisted the murders weren't premeditated, said, Ross woke up Christmas morning in a state of deep depression, drank half a bottle of whiskey, messaged Iris about the pain of their separation. Then every thing spiraled out of control. But here's the problem with that argument. You don't accidentally search for battery acid, sulfuric acid, and cases of families murdered on Christmas. You don't accidentally warn people to expect something big. You don't accidentally buy a gun, load it, wait for your estranged wife to arrive, shoot her outside, then go inside and methodically murder your children. That's not depression, that's premeditation, that's revenge.

24:28 That's annihilation. Monday, November fourth, twenty twenty five, the jury deliberated returned with their verdict guilty on all twenty three counts. Ross faces the death penalty. Arizona is a capital punishment. State prosecutors will almost certainly seek death triple murder, including two children, one an infant, on Christmas Day, after planning it, after posting cheerful videos to create an alibi of normalcy, after shooting at police officers. If any case deserves the death penalty, this is it. Sentencing scheduled for January ninth, twenty twenty six. The judge will hear arguments, victim impacts, statements from Iris's family. Mary Wogas will probably speak, tell the court about her sister, about the niece and nephew who were murdered, about the terror of receiving those text messages Christmas afternoon. Then the judge will decide life without parole or death. My prediction death. This is exactly the kind of case capital punishment was designed for. Planned family annihilation, multiple victims, including children, killing his own kids because he couldn't control his ex wife. Society doesn't need Anthony Milan Ross breathing the same air. Iris Ross was thirty eight years old, director healthcare administrator, filed for divorce to escape a toxic, controlling marriage. Should be forty six now, should be raising her children, should be celebrating Christmas with Nigel

25:59 and Honora. Should be alive. Nigel was eleven sixth grade, posted a video with his father singing Christmas carols. Had no idea what was coming. Should be nineteen now, should be in college. Should have graduated high school. Should have had his whole life ahead of him. Honora was nine months old, baby, couldn't walk yet, couldn't talk yet, just starting to experience the world. Should be eight years old now. Should be in second grade, Should be excited for Christmas. Should have had a lifetime of Christmases. Anthony Milan Ross took all of that away because his celebrity status was fake, because his perfect family was a lie, because Iris dared to leave him. Some people just can't be rehabilitated. Some people are just evil. Rest in peace, Iris, Nigel, Honora, someone has to say your names. That celebrity trials from Monday, November tenth, twenty twenty five. Christopher Schulte's killed himself Tuesday night rather than face prison for Parker's hot car death.

27:03 Never served a day, took the coward's exit. His seventeen year old daughter wasn't surprised, said she knew he'd do it. Parker was two years old. Should still be alive. Anthony Milan Ross found guilty Monday of murdering his wife, Iris and children, Nigel and Honora. On Christmas Day twenty seventeen, posted cheerful videos singing Carol's hours before the massacre. Google searches proved he planned it. Sentencing January ninth, faces death penalty. Make it make sense. Two fathers, two family annihilators. One escaped justice, the other will face it. Lock your doors, watch your neighbors. If you know someone whose spouse complains about them leaving kids in cars, call child services. If you know someone threatening their ex after divorce, call police.

27:52 These tragedies are preventable. We just have to care enough to act. I'm read Carter, see you tomorrow. This is celebrity trials.