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 movies, has passed away. Christopher Scholtes, aged 38, was confirmed deceased by the Maricopa County Medical Examiner’s Office in Arizona on November 5, with the cause of death undisclosed.
Scholtes missed a court hearing at the Pima County Superior Court on the same day, preceding his sentencing scheduled for November 21. Reports from the Pima County Medical Examiner revealed that the car’s interior temperature was approximately 43°C when emergency responders arrived, leading to the conclusion that the child died due to heat exposure.
In a prior agreement reached with prosecutors in October, Scholtes had admitted to the second-degree murder of his daughter, Parker, which occurred in July 2024. Initially set to serve 20 to 30 years in prison, he had been out on bail until his anticipated custody commencement on Wednesday.
Following the court proceedings, prosecutors were visibly affected, promising more information to be disclosed later on that day. Scholtes’ death was recorded on Wednesday; however, details surrounding the incident location were not specified by the medical examiner.
Scholtes and his wife, Erika, a practicing anesthesiologist, had recently relocated to a $1 million residence in Phoenix, an hour away from the site in Marana where their daughter tragically passed away. The toddler had been left sleeping in the family car with the air conditioning on, while Erika was on duty at Banner University Medical Center, the same hospital where their daughter was transported.
During the legal proceedings, Erika defended her husband by characterizing their child’s death as a mistake. Scholtes initially pleaded not guilty but later accepted a plea deal, opting for 20 to 30 years in jail for charges of second-degree murder and child abuse.
Recently, Scholtes and Erika were sued by their eldest daughter, now 17, for emotional distress, assault, battery, and fraud. Text messages exchanged between the couple indicated that leaving the children unattended in the car was a recurring practice for Scholtes, as Erika expressed concern in a text message while Parker was rushed to the hospital.
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