Arizona father who left his two-year-old daughter to die in a sweltering car found dead on the day he was meant to begin his prison sentence
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Arizona father who left his two-year-old daughter to die in a sweltering car found dead on the day he was meant to begin his prison sentence

A heartbreaking twist has unfolded in Arizona after a man convicted of killing his young daughter was found dead on the same day he was expected to begin his prison sentence.

The shocking development has left many questioning what truly happened in the final hours before he was due to turn himself in.

Father Dies Before Facing Prison

Authorities in Maricopa County confirmed that 38-year-old Christopher Scholtes was found dead on Wednesday.

His death was officially recorded by the county’s Medical Examiner’s Office, though the exact cause has not yet been made public.

Coincidentally, Scholtes was scheduled to appear in Pima County Superior Court that very day for a hearing tied to his sentencing, which was set for November 21.

When he failed to appear, news soon followed that he had died.

Conviction in Daughter’s Death

Scholtes had pleaded guilty just weeks earlier to second-degree murder for the death of his two-year-old daughter, Parker, in July 2024.

Prosecutors revealed that the father had left his child in a hot car outside their home in Marana, Arizona, while he stayed inside watching adult films.

The tragic decision resulted in Parker’s death, sparking outrage across the community.

Sentence and Final Days

Under the terms of his plea agreement, Scholtes faced 20 to 30 years in prison.

Despite the severity of his crime, he had been allowed to remain free on bail until Wednesday, the day he was due to be taken into custody.

That day never came — instead, he was declared dead.

Wife’s Support Through Legal Turmoil

Throughout the legal process, Scholtes’ wife, Dr. Erika Scholtes, an anesthesiologist, stood by his side.

The couple’s relationship had been under immense scrutiny since Parker’s death, with many unable to understand how such a tragedy could have occurred within their family.

Unanswered Questions

As of now, officials have not released further details about Scholtes’ cause of death or whether foul play is suspected.

The timing, however, has left many unsettled — a father who ended his daughter’s life met his own death just as he was set to begin answering for it in prison.

What happens next will likely depend on the results of the autopsy, but for now, one family is left with two devastating losses — a daughter gone too soon, and a father who never made it to serve his sentence.

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