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 videos, has passed away. The Maricopa County Medical Examiner’s Office confirmed the death of Christopher Scholtes, 38, with no specified cause of death.
Scholtes missed a court hearing in Pima County Superior Court, where it was revealed that the temperature inside the car reached approximately 43°C when emergency responders arrived, leading to the child’s death from heat exposure.
Having previously agreed to plead guilty to second-degree murder in the 2024 incident involving his daughter, Parker, Scholtes was due to be sentenced to 20 to 30 years in prison. However, he was granted bail until the day of his scheduled custody transfer.
Prosecutors left the Pima County court visibly affected after the hearing, promising to share more information regarding the case. Scholtes’ death was recorded on Wednesday, but no additional details were disclosed by the medical examiner.
Scholtes and his wife, Erika, who works as an anesthesiologist, had recently relocated to a $1 million home in the Phoenix suburbs. The tragic incident occurred near Tucson, where their daughter lost her life despite being left in the car with the air conditioning running.
During the court proceedings, Erika defended her husband, labeling their daughter’s death as an unintentional error. Initially pleading not guilty, Scholtes later accepted a plea deal for second-degree murder and child abuse charges, facing a harsher sentence of 20 to 30 years.
In a recent development, Scholtes and Erika were sued by their 17-year-old daughter for emotional distress, assault, battery, and fraud. Text messages between the couple indicated that leaving the children unattended in the car was a regular practice for Scholtes, as Erika reprimanded him for the behavior while their daughter was being rushed to the hospital.