Doctor's Husband Who Left Daughter, 2, to Die In a Hot Car While He Played Video Games Heads to Hawaii For Family Vacation — As He Faces a Possible Death Sentence
Erika Scholtes's husband, Christopher, got the green light to go on a Hawaiian family vacation despite being charged with murdering their 2-year-old last year.
May 9 2025, Published 5:45 p.m. ET
A doctor’s husband who let their 2-year-old daughter perish in a hot car while he played video games is still with his wife – and they’re going on a big trip, RadarOnline.com can reveal.
Christopher Scholtes, 37, is currently facing first-degree murder charges for the tragic death of his young child, Parker, after he left her to nap in sweltering 190-degree heat last July.
In a new update, Christopher Scholtes and his wife have remained together after the horrifying tragedy of losing their daughter Parker.
However, a court just gave him the green light to take a vacation to Maui with his doctor wife Erika and their two surviving daughters.
Despite facing chilling murder charges and a possible death sentence for rejecting a plea deal, Scholtes and his wife have shockingly stayed united – even as prosecutors brand their daughter’s death a homicide.
Scholtes, who left his car running with the air conditioning on while he played video games, allegedly lost track of time – causing the car to shut off and trapping his daughter in scorching heat.
The doctor's husband left their toddler to nap in sweltering 190°F heat last July.
Now, even with the weight of the murder charges hanging over him, the father has been granted bail and permission for the Hawaiian trip thanks to a court order.
His defense team successfully argued for a temporary change in his bail conditions, allowing him to vacation with Erika and their two surviving daughters from May 1 to 9.
Erika has been unwavering in her support, even defending her husband in court by calling their daughter’s death "a mistake."
Judge Kimberly Ortiz approved Scholtes' request to vacation despite prosecutors’ objections, with conditions including no unsupervised contact with children and regular check-ins.
Meanwhile, reports revealed the Scholtes family took several lavish trips in the year before daughter Parker’s death, including getaways to Banff, Cancun, Europe, Seattle, and Sedona.
Scholtes was originally scheduled for a 10-day trial starting September 15, but the proceedings have been postponed until October.
He turned down a plea deal that would have reduced his charges to second-degree murder, carrying a maximum sentence of 25 years.
Instead, he now faces either life in prison or the death penalty if found guilty.
Details of the Tragic Day and Erika's Chilling Texts
Scholtes could face either life in prison or the death penalty if proven guilty.
Scholtes told police he left his daughter Parker in a running, air-conditioned car to let her sleep, but surveillance footage showed she was in the vehicle for over three hours in direct sunlight.
He allegedly knew the car would shut off after 30 minutes, and his older daughters claimed he often left them all alone in the car.
On the day Parker died, Scholtes' daughters told police he got distracted by video games and putting away food, according to the criminal complaint.
CCTV footage showed Scholtes never checked on Parker until his wife Erika came home around 4:08 p.m. and asked where she was.
Erika found Parker in the car, performed CPR, and rode with her to the hospital where she worked.
During the emergency, Erika texted Scholtes blaming him for leaving the kids in the car again, later telling him: "We’ve lost her, she was perfect."
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Texts between Scholtes and his wife showed he had left his kids in the car prior to his daughter's death.
Scholtes responded: "Babe I’m sorry! How could I do this. I killed our baby, this can’t be real."
In another text message after the incident, his wife also wrote: "I told you to stop leaving them in the car. How many times have I told you?"
