A man who was facing imprisonment for the death of his two-year-old daughter, whom he left in a hot car while watching adult content, has passed away. The Maricopa County Medical Examiner’s Office confirmed the death of Christopher Scholtes, 38, with the cause not disclosed.
Scholtes missed a court appearance at the Pima County Superior Court, where he was scheduled for sentencing on November 21. Authorities determined that the temperature inside the car reached 43°C when emergency responders arrived, attributing the child’s death to heat exposure.
Having previously agreed to plead guilty to second-degree murder in the case of his daughter, Parker, who tragically died in July 2024, the 38-year-old was to be incarcerated for 20 to 30 years. Despite being on bail, Scholtes was to be taken into custody on Wednesday.
After the court hearing, prosecutors appeared visibly affected, with plans to release more information later in the day. Scholtes was found deceased on Wednesday, with no additional details provided by the medical examiner.
He and his wife, Erika, a practicing anesthesiologist, had relocated to a $1 million home in the Phoenix suburbs, away from the Marana property where the incident occurred. The couple’s daughter was left in the car with the air conditioning running while Erika was at work at Banner University Medical Center, the same hospital where the child was later treated.
In court, Erika defended her husband, describing their daughter’s death as a “mistake.” Scholtes initially pleaded not guilty but eventually accepted a plea deal for 20 to 30 years in prison on charges of second-degree murder and child abuse.
Recently, he and Erika were sued by their eldest daughter for emotional distress, assault, battery, and fraud. Text messages between the couple revealed that leaving the children in the car for extended periods was a recurring practice despite warnings from Erika.
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