Overview
- Phoenix police found Christopher Scholtes, 38, dead on Nov. 5 after a 5:22 a.m. call, the day he was expected to surrender ahead of a Nov. 21 sentencing.
- Pima County Attorney Laura Conover said Scholtes took his own life; the Maricopa County Medical Examiner is investigating and final results are pending.
- Scholtes pleaded guilty in October to second-degree murder and intentional child abuse under a plea recommending 20 to 30 years in prison without early release.
- Investigators say his daughter Parker, 2, was left in a vehicle for about three hours on July 9, 2024, as temperatures hit 109°F and the car’s AC shut off after roughly 30 minutes.
- Case records cite prior warnings and a pattern of leaving children in cars, and an older daughter recently filed a civil suit alleging emotional distress.