EXCLUSIVE DETAILS: Killer Dad Who Left Toddler to Die In Hot Car as He 'Watched Porn' Commits Suicide — Just Hours Before Beginning Prison Sentence For Horrific Crime
An Arizona dad who pled guilty to murdering his toddler daughter has committed suicide.
Nov. 5 2025, Published 7:10 p.m. ET
The Arizona father, who was "distracted" by video games and online porn while his 2-year-old daughter was trapped inside his car under extreme heat, has committed suicide, RadarOnline.com can confirm.
Christopher Scholtes did not show up for a court hearing this morning, at which he was expected to be sent to prison after pleading guilty to the toddler's murder.
Christopher Scholtes' Cause of Death
Christopher Scholtes was expected to be taken into custody Wednesday.
Scholtes was scheduled to be taken into custody on Wednesday, November 5, ahead of his sentencing at the end of the month, but Pima County Attorney Laura Conover said he never made it.
"We expected to be in court this morning, because the father had accepted a plea agreement to second-degree murder, which could have carried as much as 30 years in prison," Conover said.
"But instead of coming in to take account for what has occurred here, we have been informed and we have confirmed that the father took his own life last night."
The Phoenix Police Department is actively conducting its own investigation into Scholtes' death.
Christopher Scholtes Had Accepted a Plea Deal
He agreed to a plea deal last month.
Late last month, the Pima County Attorney’s Office exclusively told RadarOnline.com the 38-year-old had taken the deal.
"Today, Christopher Scholtes accepted a plea agreement and pled guilty to one Count of Second-Degree Murder and one Count of Intentional/Knowing Child Abuse under Circumstance Likely to Cause Death or Serious Physical Injury," an official told RadarOnline.com in a statement.
"Under the terms of the plea, the sentences imposed by the judge are going to run consecutively, and Scholtes will face a sentencing range of 20 to 30 years of 'flat time.'"
That meant he wouldn't have to face life in prison, or worse, but wouldn't have been eligible for early release, and instead was expected to serve the full sentence imposed by the court.
'Justice' for Parker
The Arizona father had been accused of neglect before.
The statement continued: "We are grateful for the hard work and dedication of our prosecutors, victim advocates, and staff for their collaboration with local law enforcement on this complicated and high-profile case.
"This is yet another reminder to the community that the Pima County Attorney’s Office will do everything we can to get justice for victims and prosecute those who have caused harm to others, especially those who are most vulnerable."
As RadarOnline.com has reported, Scholtes left his youngest child in the car after running some errands and returning home.
Prosecutors said the father-of-three cracked open a few beers he shoplifted earlier in the day, played some video games, and searched for porn on his PlayStation – all while his toddler daughter, Parker, was still in the car.
He later admitted he was aware that the car engine in his vehicle turns off after 30 minutes, at which point there would be no air conditioning.
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The Toddler was Rushed to the Hospital
Bodycam captured the moment Scholtes was approached by cops.
Parker’s mother, an anesthesiologist, discovered her daughter in critical condition in the car with the AC off when she came home around 4 p.m.
The toddler was rushed to the same hospital where her mother works, and was declared dead an hour later.
Medical examiners said temperatures in the 2003 Acura climbed as high as 109 degrees over the three hours Parker was trapped inside.
That wasn't the first time he "forgot" one of his kids in a car. In a text message after Parker's incident, his wife, Erika, allegedly texted him in a panic, "I told you to stop leaving them in the car. How many times have I told you?"
His two surviving daughters, who were 6 and 9 at the time, said in interviews that their father had previously left them alone in the car on other occasions.
