Arizona dad, who watched porn while 2-year-old died, kills himself
What's the story
Christopher Scholtes, a 38-year-old father from Arizona, United States, died by suicide on Wednesday. This was the same day he was supposed to report to prison for the death of his two-year-old daughter, Parker. Scholtes had pleaded guilty to second-degree murder and was facing a sentence of 20-30 years without parole. He was found dead in a Phoenix home, according to the Maricopa County Medical Examiner's Office.
Incident details
What led to the tragic incident
The tragic incident took place in July 2024 when Scholtes left Parker in their Acura while he went inside their home to drink beer, play video games, and watch porn. He had initially claimed to have left her for only 30 minutes with the air conditioning on. However, court records revealed that he actually left her for over three hours as the car engine shut off automatically after half an hour.
Family revelations
The temperature inside the vehicle was over 42 degrees
Scholtes's older daughters from a previous marriage revealed that he often left them in the car when they were kids. His younger daughters with Parker's mother, Erika, also said their father frequently left them strapped in the car while he went inside. The Pima County Medical Examiner found the temperature inside the vehicle was 108.9°F (42.7°C) when first responders arrived.
Family defense
Erika defended her husband in court
Erika defended her husband in court, calling the incident a mistake. She was at work at Banner University Medical Center when Parker was brought in and died an hour later. After the incident, Erika texted Scholtes, saying, "I told you to stop leaving them in the car," to which he replied with remorseful messages. Despite his actions, she requested that he be allowed home after his arrest so they could grieve together as a family.
Legal action
Daughter sued Scholtes and Erika for emotional distress
In October, one of Scholtes's older daughters from his previous marriages sued him and Erika for causing her emotional distress. The lawsuit detailed incidents of being left in cars since she was 7 years old and alleged assault and battery by both parents. The daughter claimed to have "suffered immensely" from their actions through her guardian, Lindsay Eisenberg.