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An Arizona court accepted a guilty plea from Christopher Scholtes to Second-Degree Murder in the hot car death of his two-year-old daughter, Parker, in July last year. The father, whose distractions included video games and adult videos, will be sentenced to 20 to 30 years in prison without parole on November 21, reflecting the severity of the extreme recklessness in the case. This tragic verdict highlights the severe legal consequences of child neglect under circumstances of extreme indifference.
A family photo showing Christopher and Erika Scholtes with their three young daughters. The couple's daughter, Parker, who was tragically killed in the hot car incident, is seated on her mother's lap.
A shocking plea of guilty to Second-Degree Murder has been entered by Christopher Scholtes, the 38-year-old father who left his two-year-old daughter, Parker, to die inside a scorching hot car in Marana, Arizona, last summer. The devastating details, including him being distracted by video games and adult videos, while his child succumbed to the extreme heat, have finally been laid bare in court.
The high-profile case concluded its plea phase this week in Pima County court, with Scholtes maintaining a stony, unrepentant silence as he arrived to admit the crime. He now faces a grim sentence of 20 to 30 years in state prison and will not be eligible for parole, a severe penalty that reflects the horrific nature of his neglect.
On a sweltering July day with outside temperatures reaching 90 degrees Fahrenheit, Scholtes initially left little Parker napping in the family’s Acura SUV, allegedly with the air conditioning running. What followed was a tragic, three-hour lapse into self-indulgence that sealed his daughter’s fate.
Instead of keeping watch, Scholtes retreated inside his house where he spent his time drinking beer, playing on his PlayStation, and viewing pornography. Unsurprisingly, the vehicle’s cooling system eventually failed, causing the car’s internal temperature to skyrocket to a deadly 108.9 degrees Fahrenheit by the time first responders were desperately trying to save the child. Investigators also revealed that Scholtes, demonstrating brazen indifference, even shoplifted beer from a gas station and a supermarket shortly before arriving home that day, a portion of which he consumed while Parker was trapped.
The investigation into Parker’s death uncovered more than just a momentary lapse; it exposed a deeply troubling pattern of child neglect, alcoholism, and drug abuse. Text messages between Scholtes and his wife, Dr. Erika Scholtes—an anesthesiologist who was working at the very hospital her daughter was rushed to—painted a chilling picture of a life where the children were repeatedly put in danger.
As Parker was being taken to the hospital, Erika furiously texted her husband: "I told you to stop leaving them in the car, how many times have I told you." She followed up with the heart-wrenching message, "We've lost her, she was perfect." Scholtes’s response, "I killed our baby, this can't be real," stands as his own stark admission of culpability.
Furthermore, his older children, aged nine and five, told police their father regularly left all three siblings alone in the vehicle, a dangerous habit that his wife had repeatedly begged him to stop. According to analysis reviewed by Lawyer Monthly, this documented history of neglect was crucial in establishing the necessary criminal intent for a murder charge.
The legal system’s decision to accept a plea for Second-Degree Murder under Arizona Revised Statutes A.R.S 13-1104 reflects the gravity of extreme recklessness demonstrated by Scholtes. Second-degree murder, in this context, is defined as killing without premeditation, but under circumstances demonstrating a "manifesting extreme indifference to human life" where the person "recklessly engages in conduct that creates a grave risk of death."
The actions of Christopher Scholtes—ignoring the dangers of a hot car and his responsibilities as a parent to pursue personal vices—easily meet this rigorous legal standard.
"When a person ignores repeated warnings, consumes alcohol, and chooses hours of self-gratification over the life of a defenseless toddler in a dangerous environment, the law recognizes that behavior as far beyond mere accident or simple negligence," stated Brian Di Pietro, an aggressive Arizona criminal defense attorney, regarding the legal implications of such cases. "The extreme indifference shown here is precisely what elevates this charge to second-degree murder, securing a long, mandatory prison sentence."
The final sentence, which will be handed down on November 21, promises 20 to 30 years in prison. This enhanced range is likely due to aggravating factors under Arizona law, most critically that the victim was a child under the age of fifteen.
Despite the overwhelming evidence, Scholtes's wife, Dr. Erika Scholtes, has controversially stood by him, describing their daughter’s death in court as merely "a mistake." This defense, juxtaposed with her own desperate texts detailing her husband’s persistent, life-threatening behavior, has fueled intense public scrutiny. The case continues to dominate headlines, drawing attention to the broader issue of preventable hot car deaths and parental accountability. It highlights that in cases involving extreme negligence, the path to justice can be swift and severe.
Scholtes, who was also accused of previous abusive behavior toward his eldest daughter from a prior relationship, was initially offered a much lighter plea deal of as little as ten years, which he rejected. His eventual acceptance of a harsher plea underscores the mounting evidence against him and the high risk of facing a potential First-Degree Murder conviction at trial.
The defendant is set to return to the Pima County court for his final sentencing hearing on November 21.
The CourtTV video offers more details on the father's initial defense in the hot car death case. Mom in Child Hot Car Death Case Asks for Husband to Be Freed.
