A man facing prison time for the death of his two-year-old daughter, who was left in a hot car while he watched adult content, has passed away. The Maricopa County Medical Examiner’s Office confirmed the death of Christopher Scholtes on November 5, with the cause of death not disclosed.
Scholtes missed a court hearing in Pima County Superior Court, where he was to be sentenced on November 21. Medical examiners reported that the car’s temperature was approximately 43°C when emergency responders arrived, confirming the child’s death was due to heat exposure.
Previously, the 38-year-old father had made a deal with prosecutors and pleaded guilty to second-degree murder in the death of his daughter, Parker, which occurred in July 2024.
Scheduled to serve 20 to 30 years in prison, Scholtes had been out on bail until the day of his expected custody transfer. In July 2024, he was apprehended for leaving his youngest child in the car while occupied with video games.
During the incident, Scholtes was found to have searched for adult content on his PlayStation and claimed he left his daughter in the car outside their Marana residence, about 100 miles south of Phoenix, for her to sleep.
He had parked the car, a 2023 Acura MDX, in direct sunlight with the car seat on the driver’s side, under a west-facing window. Initially stating he left the air conditioning on for 30 minutes, he later admitted that the engine automatically shuts off after half an hour.
The child’s mother discovered her unresponsive hours later when the A/C had turned off, and exterior temperatures had reached 43°C. Surveillance footage from the day showed Scholtes shoplifting beer, consuming some in a restroom, and leaving the child unattended in the car.
Although Scholtes initially claimed the child was left in the car for only 30 minutes, surveillance showed a three-hour absence until the child’s discovery by the parents. Emergency services responded, but the child did not survive.
Autopsy results revealed the child’s body temperature was 108.9°F (42.72°C), with the cause of death attributed to environmental heat exposure, deemed accidental.
Investigators disclosed that Scholtes’ other children, aged nine and five, mentioned being regularly left alone in the car for extended periods. One daughter stated that her father often left them in the car despite being told not to, leading to the tragic outcome.
The daughter also accused Scholtes of creating a hostile environment at home, resulting in emotional and psychological distress. She filed a lawsuit alleging assault, battery, and child abuse, along with fraudulent behavior by her father.
Despite public backlash, Scholtes was permitted to travel to Hawaii for a family vacation against the objections of prosecutors. The trip, requested by Scholtes and approved by a judge, took place ten months after the tragic death of his youngest daughter.
Scholtes and his wife had recently relocated to a new residence in the Phoenix suburbs, distancing themselves from the Marana property where the tragic incident occurred.
