GUILTY Arizona girl, 2, left in car by father on 109-degree day and is found dead #2 (guilty plea, father found dead 5 November 2025 before sentencing)

[abyquinn]

Well. I've been trying to catch up with this thread for a couple of weeks, and I especially wanted it to be before today, so we could all observe him finally getting his punishment in real time.

I did think there was a chance he'd do this, or more likely flee, but I'm still shocked. Times like these I wish I still believed in hell, so I could imagine Satan standing there poking him with a pitchfork.

I just wonder what happened between the time he rejected the first plea deal, then pled with the longer sentence. Because I also think his exit was decided before then.

Right up until the week before this plea deal he was planning on taking it to trial and testifying to make the jury understand this was all a terrible accident. He really thought he was going to get away with it. What changed his mind or made him realize he was going to prison and if found guilty of 1st degree he was never getting out? I don’t think we’ll ever know. So the state gave him one more chance with a second degree plea, 20 to 30 years in prison with no early release. He took it but he never planned on serving it IMO.

 

[Toniab329]

Does anyone besides me think the judge should be removed from the bench or at minimum, just exit stage left?

I sure hope she faces some repercussion for pretty much allowing this to happen.

 

[airportwoman]

BREAKING: Christopher Scholtes, Marana father who pleaded guilty to the murder of his daughter for leaving her in a hot car, has died. That’s according to Maricopa County Coroner records. He was supposed to be arrested per plea deal today. @KVOA

I just saw this on another website.

At least he can't father any more children who will be neglected by him, and his widow can collect his Social Security death benefits, I guess.

 

[abyquinn]

Does anyone besides me think the judge should be removed from the bench or at minimum, just exit stage left?

I agree. I’d like to see how she has treated other defendants with similar charges. Do they all remain free, without bond or monitor? Are they allowed to take vacations? Live with minors who were also abused?

 

[airportwoman]

how their mother has seemingly prioritized her husband over their best interests.

This reminds me of parents who find out their partner has abused the children, in various ways, and still chooses to stay with them over protecting the kids.

 

[mickey2942]

Well, what is sad is for the other 2 girls. Children of parents who commit suicide have a much higher percentage of suicide.

Very Young Child Survivors’ Perceptions of Their Father’s Suicide: Exploring Bibliotherapy as Postvention Support - PMC

Each year in the United States, 7000 to 30,000 children experience their parent’s suicide. Due to the stigma associated with suicide, feelings of guilt, and intense grief, surviving family members avoid talking about suicide. Over time, children ...

pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Parental death by suicide linked to increased offspring suicide risk

Parental suicide offspring risk - Aggelos Stamos on offspring's risk for suicidal behaviour in relation to parental death by suicide.

www.nationalelfservice.net

True to the end. CS didn't care about anyone but himself.

 

[tlcya]

I just saw this on another website.

At least he can't father any more children who will be neglected by him, and his widow can collect his Social Security death benefits, I guess.

how much can she really collect seeing as how he was a SAHD and didn't really work or pay into it? No snark, I don't know.

 

[Judy Sleuth]

I just saw this on another website.

At least he can't father any more children who will be neglected by him, and his widow can collect his Social Security death benefits, I guess.

I wonder if he worked enough for those benefits to amount to very much. Seems he had trouble holding down jobs before the decision (? or forced outcome) to become a SAHD.

 

[airportwoman]

No details have been released about Scholtes’ death. The Maricopa Medical Examiner’s office said a report on his death will be available in 90 days, reported Scripps News Tucson.

Christopher Scholtes, convicted in daughter's hot car death, dies

Following his guilty plea last month, Christopher Scholtes was set to be taken into custody today for the death of his daughter.

www.courttv.com

When that happens, it usually means they're awaiting full tox screen results, which can't be done overnight.

 

[airportwoman]

how much can she really collect seeing as how he was a SAHD and didn't really work or pay into it? No snark, I don't know.

If he had SS quarters before leeching off women, she could.

 

[AnyNameIWish]

How will ES explain this?

She won't ever have to. Unfortunately. She made her choices to continue to keep up this facade and now she gets to play Victim Widow.... WOE Is ME and find another husband who will come running to her.

Just hope while she does this she hires a decent nanny.

Local news but with no real update

 

[vinsrygg]

Right up until the week before this plea deal he was planning on taking it to trial and testifying to make the jury understand this was all a terrible accident. He really thought he was going to get away with it. What changed his mind or made him realize he was going to prison and if found guilty of 1st degree he was never getting out? I don’t think we’ll ever know. So the state gave him one more chance with a second degree plea, 20 to 30 years in prison with no early release. He took it but he never planned on serving it IMO.

I think there is a very good chance that Christopher’s attorney put him through a mock cross-examination and it did not go well.

 

[Chimera]

I think there is a very good chance that Christopher’s attorney put him through a mock cross-examination and it did not go well.

Hmm.... Good point.
Well, maybe now he has to 'answer' to a higher power or something ?
At least no more little ones will be neglected/mistreated by him.
Sad for the surviving kids !!!
Imo.

 

[scapa]

Is it just me or does Judge Lopez have somethings to answer for? The DA obviously wanted him in custody the day he pleaded guilty, it was in the contract. It had to have been her decision to leave him free, just like she decided to let him take a vacation, left him out of jail without bond for the last 15 months and let him live in the house with 2 other children he had also abused. Now Erika will make him a martyr.

This.

Undeserved, of course, and perhaps it won't last long, but it will take time and diligence -- and independent willpower -- for the surviving daughters to get access to the facts of the case and write their own stories.

What a disaster. And, as so many of noted here already, easily foreseen.

 

[tealrose]

I haven't kept up with this one, but it's interesting how the prevailing impression is "he took himself out".

My brain, of course, is insisting on speculating about other possibilities.

 

[browneyes]

He’s truly a coward.

 

[sunspun]

Well. I've been trying to catch up with this thread for a couple of weeks, and I especially wanted it to be before today, so we could all observe him finally getting his punishment in real time.

I did think there was a chance he'd do this, or more likely flee, but I'm still shocked. Times like these I wish I still believed in hell, so I could imagine Satan standing there poking him with a pitchfork.

I just wonder what happened between the time he rejected the first plea deal, then pled with the longer sentence. Because I also think his exit was decided before then.

Wonder if he decided before he went to Hawaii even?

 

[Dotta]

https://twitter.com/x/status/1986162249539457473

 

[Rusty Braincells]

I am fairly sure he took his own life, the reporting wouldn’t be so sparse if there was another possibility. This is surely not guilt for Parker — had he felt sorry, he would have taken his own life much sooner, as other parents who have lost their children in this type of incident have done — but instead, recognition that the fun was fully over.

You can’t shoplift beers, watch p*rn*gr*phy, or even have a shower whenever you want, not in the slammer. Chris’s party was finished and so was he.

 

[SMK777]

Apparently the father has committed suicide:

Death of Arizona dad Christopher Scholtes after leaving 2-year-old daughter to die in hot car while he watched p*rn probed as suicide​

*******New York Post link below seems to be blocked due to websleurh blocking the word "porn" in link *******

Deadbeat Arizona dad Christopher Scholtes dies by suicide after leaving 2-year-old daughter to die in hot car while he watched porn

He was due to report to prison, but never arrived at the hearing Wednesday, where he was scheduled to be taken into custody.

nypost.com