Arizona Father Found Dead in Garage in Apparent Suicide Hours Before Reporting to Prison After Daughter’s Hot-Car Death

Overview

Christopher Scholtes, 38, was found dead inside a vehicle parked in a closed garage on Nov. 5, authorities say. The death is being investigated as an apparent suicide and occurred just hours before Scholtes was due to report to prison following a guilty plea in the death of his 2-year-old daughter, Parker.

What happened

Police responded to a call at 5:22 a.m. and discovered Scholtes’ body inside a parked car in a closed garage. Sgt. Brian Bower of the Phoenix Police Department said investigators are treating the death as a suicide and continue to probe the circumstances.

Case background

Weeks earlier, Scholtes pleaded guilty to second-degree murder in the July 9, 2024, death of his daughter Parker, who died after being left unattended in a vehicle as temperatures in the car rose to roughly 109 degrees. Under a plea agreement with prosecutors, Scholtes faced 20 to 30 years in prison. Had the case gone to trial, he could have faced life in prison or the death penalty.

Body-camera footage and court records indicate Scholtes admitted to responding officers that he had left Parker in the car. He told officers he believed she was asleep in her car seat and that he forgot her after becoming distracted. Records and reports show Parker remained in the vehicle for more than three hours until her mother arrived home from work and discovered her.

Additional details and prior concerns

Reports indicate Scholtes had, on prior occasions, left children unattended in vehicles. Investigators learned of these incidents from interviews with his surviving daughters and text exchanges with his wife from the day Parker was taken to the hospital. Court records also note that while out on bail before pleading guilty, Scholtes spent time playing video games and performed an online search for pornography the morning Parker died.

After his arrest, Scholtes posted bail and was later permitted to remain at home briefly; court filings show a judge approved a request allowing a short family trip while the case was pending, a decision that drew public scrutiny.

Family matters and civil claims

The tragedy compounded existing family turmoil. A 17-year-old daughter from a prior relationship had previously filed civil claims accusing Scholtes of neglect and abuse. An Arizona Department of Child Safety (ADCS) report referenced multiple complaints between 2014 and 2020 alleging physical and emotional mistreatment; the agency said those earlier reports were not substantiated and that the teenager was ultimately placed in her mother’s care after a 2020 report.

The same daughter later made a separate allegation reported to the agency; following Scholtes’s death she asked that her civil case be dismissed, telling her attorney and former guardian she wanted to withdraw from the public spotlight and try to move on.

Investigation ongoing

Authorities continue to investigate Scholtes’s death and the circumstances surrounding Parker’s death. Officials have reiterated the central facts documented in court records: Parker, age 2, died after being left in a vehicle that reached extreme temperatures; Scholtes admitted he had left her in the car and had been distracted afterward; and he pleaded guilty days before he was due to begin serving his sentence. The investigation into Scholtes’s death remains active.

Support resources: If you suspect child abuse or need help, contact the Childhelp National Child Abuse Hotline at 1-800-4-A-Child (1-800-422-4453) or visit www.childhelp.org. Calls are toll-free, confidential and available 24/7.