PHOENIX — A southern Arizona father who was convicted of murder after his 2-year-old daughter was left to die in a hot car in 2024 died by suicide in Phoenix Tuesday night, according to authorities.
Christopher Scholtes, 38, was found dead just after 5 a.m. on Wednesday in a neighborhood near Third Street and Northern Avenue, according to the Phoenix Police Department.
The Pima County Attorney’s Office announced on Wednesday afternoon that he had taken his own life the night prior.
“This is obviously extraordinarily complicated and we extend our deepest sympathies and sorrow to all the loved ones who have suffered the loss of this beautiful baby girl and now another loss to his family,” Pima County Attorney Laura Conover said in a video released to media outlets.
Last month, Scholtes agreed to plead guilty to second-degree murder in the case. He was scheduled to appear in court Wednesday morning to be taken into custody, but failed to appear, according to ABC15.
His sentence would have been between 20 and 30 years with no chance of parole.
“This little girl’s voice was nearly silenced because justice was not served appropriately this morning,” Conover said. “But it has not and will not be silenced due to the hard work of the people who work here at the Pima County Attorney’s Office.”
Details of 2-year-old Arizona girl’s hot car death
Scholtes’ daughter died on July 9, 2024, after being left in a hot car outside of her home in Marana, north of Tucson, on a day where temperatures reached as high as 109 degrees.
Scholtes said he had parked the car in the home’s driveway with the air conditioning running and that he left the girl in the car because she was sleeping.
ABC15 reported that investigators said Scholtes was in the living room of the home drinking, playing video games and watching pornography as his young daughter sat in the car.
However, after about three hours, the girl’s mother came home and found her in the car, which was no longer running.
The mother noticed the child was motionless, called 911 and began performing CPR.
Northwest Fire District firefighters attempted their own life-saving measures and took the girl to Banner University Medical Center in Tucson, where she died.
Three days later, Scholtes was charged with the girl’s death.
Scholtes later moved to Maricopa County, according to ABC15.
The Maricopa County Medical Examiner’s office told the Phoenix TV station that a report on his death will be available in 90 days.
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