An Arizona man, Christopher Scholtes, who had admitted to leaving his 2-year-old daughter to perish in a hot car while he indulged in adult content inside his home, has reportedly died. The Maricopa County Medical Examiner’s office confirmed his death, which is currently under investigation by Phoenix police as a potential suicide.
Scholtes was due to be taken into custody but failed to appear at the scheduled hearing. He had pleaded guilty to second-degree murder in October and was facing a potential sentence of up to 30 years in prison. His sentencing was expected to take place this month, but he was required to report to prison before the official sentence was handed down.
The tragic incident that led to Scholtes’ charges occurred over a year ago when his young daughter, Parker, was discovered lifeless in the driveway of their Marana home on a blistering July afternoon in 2024, with temperatures reaching 109 degrees. Scholtes initially claimed that he had left the toddler in the car with the air conditioning on for 30 minutes while she napped. However, court records later revealed that the child had been left in the car for three hours.
Scholtes admitted that he was aware the car’s air conditioning would automatically shut off after 30 minutes. During this time, he was inside the house, watching adult content, playing video games, and consuming alcohol. His wife discovered their daughter upon returning home. She had previously warned Scholtes about the dangers of leaving their children in the car.
In a series of text messages following their daughter’s death, his wife expressed her anger and grief, stating that she had repeatedly told him not to leave their children in the car. She described their 2-year-old as “perfect.” Scholtes’ older daughters, from a previous relationship, also told investigators that he had a habit of leaving them in the car, often forgetting about them due to his video games.
Scholtes’ eldest daughter, who is set to turn 18 this month, filed a lawsuit against him last week for emotional distress. Scholtes had previously been offered a plea deal in the spring, which he declined.