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Arizona Father Who Pleaded Guilty in Toddler’s Hot-Car Death Dies by Suicide Before Sentencing

He had accepted a plea deal carrying 20 to 30 years in prison with formal sentencing set for Nov. 21.

Overview

  • Christopher Scholtes, 38, was found dead in a Phoenix residence on Nov. 5 after failing to appear to be taken into custody that morning.
  • Pima County Attorney Laura Conover said Scholtes took his own life, and Phoenix police are investigating the death as a suicide.
  • The Maricopa County Medical Examiner is conducting the autopsy, with a report expected in about 90 days.
  • Scholtes pleaded guilty in October to second-degree murder and intentional child abuse in the July 9, 2024 death of his 2-year-old daughter, Parker.
  • Investigators say the child was left in a vehicle for roughly three hours in 109°F heat; the engine and A/C shut off after about 30 minutes, and an autopsy recorded a body temperature of 108.9°F.