The Arizona father who admitted to leaving his 2-year-old daughter to die in a sweltering car while he was distracted by video games and online pornography was found dead on the same day he was set to begin a lengthy prison sentence.
According to the Maricopa County Medical Examiner’s Office, 38-year-old Christopher Scholtes was listed as deceased on Wednesday, November 5, the day he was scheduled to report to prison. Phoenix police are investigating his death as a suicide.
Scholtes had been expected to appear in Pima County Superior Court that morning to be taken into custody, but he never showed up. Deputy County Attorney Kim Hunley told local media the situation was “unexpected” and that more details would be released soon.
Disturbing details of the case
Scholtes recently pleaded guilty to second-degree murder and child abuse for the 2024 death of his daughter, Parker, who spent over three hours trapped inside a hot car.
Investigators said he returned home after running errands, opened a few beers he had shoplifted, played video games, and watched pornography on his PlayStation while his toddler remained in the car.
Scholtes claimed he left the vehicle running with the air conditioning on, but it eventually shut off. Temperatures inside the 2003 Acura reportedly climbed to 109°F (43°C) during the three hours Parker was trapped.
Toddler’s mother made the heartbreaking discovery
When Parker’s mother, an anesthesiologist, came home around 4 p.m., she found her daughter unresponsive inside the car with the air conditioning off. The toddler was rushed to the hospital where her mother worked but was pronounced dead an hour later.
Text messages revealed that Scholtes’ wife had previously warned him about leaving their children in the car, reportedly texting after the tragedy: “I told you to stop leaving them in the car. How many times have I told you?”
History of child neglect allegations
Court records show Scholtes had faced nine prior investigations for neglect and abuse between 2014 and 2020, including claims that he hit his children, left them unattended for hours, and verbally abused them.
His older children also alleged that he frequently left them in vehicles for long periods without food or supervision. However, previous investigations were closed due to insufficient evidence.
Scholtes had been allowed to remain free until his sentencing on November 21, where he faced decades in prison.
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