Overview
- Christopher Scholtes pleaded guilty to second-degree murder and intentional or knowing child abuse in the July 2024 death of his 2-year-old daughter.
- A grand jury had initially indicted him on first-degree murder, and he earlier rejected a March plea offer that carried a 10–25 year range.
- Under the new agreement, the judge will impose consecutive prison terms totaling 20–30 years of flat time with no parole or early release.
- Police records say Scholtes left the child in a still-running, air-conditioned car and knew the engine would shut off after about 30 minutes; the mother found her unresponsive about three hours later.
- An autopsy documented an interior vehicle temperature of about 108.9 degrees, and court documents describe prior occasions when the family’s other children said they were left alone in a vehicle.