An American man, Christopher Scholtes, who left his 2-year-old daughter to die inside a hot car while he played video games and searched porn, has died ahead of his sentencing.
Scholtes of Arizona pleaded guilty to murdering his daughter after she was in the family car parked in the family’s driveway.
Paramedics arrived at his home on Nov. 5, the day he was supposed to go into custody for sentencing and imprisonment, and found his lifeless body.
An emergency call had earlier been placed from the address, leading to the paramedics being dispatched, say the Maricopa County Coroner records.
The authorities have not disclosed the cause of his death, saying this is still under investigation.
An autopsy is to be conducted, and the results are expected in early 2026.
Sgt. Brian Bower of the Phoenix Police Department said a call was placed from the deceased’s address at 5:22 a.m.
Christopher Scholtes had pleaded guilty last month to the murder of his daughter just days before his trial was set to begin.
That move saved him from what could have been a lengthy sentence, up to a life sentence or even a death sentence.
With the plea bargain, he faced between 20 and 30 years in prison, according to a statement by the Pima County Attorney’s Office. There was no possibility of early release.
The incident that landed Scholtes in trouble happened on July 9, 2024. He did not even realise his tragic error until his wife arrived from work three hours later and found their daughter lifeless in the car.
It was a particularly hot day, with the temperature inside the vehicle that afternoon put at 109 degrees.
Christopher Scholtes tearfully admitted to responding officers that he had left the toddler in the car. He explained to them that the girl was sleeping in her car seat when he arrived.
Scholtes further said he left the air conditioner in the car running to make the car conducive for the child. However, he admitted that the car’s engine would typically turn off after 30 minutes.
The two older siblings of the dead child, aged 6 and 9, reportedly told detectives that their father had previously left them alone in the car.
Scholtes’ wife also sent him a furious text when the child was being rushed to the hospital, telling him that she had warned him to stop leaving the children in the car many times.
Interestingly, she opted to support her husband after the dust settled, arguing that it was a grave mistake for which he was already grieving.
He was released on bail and ordered not to have any unsupervised time with children.
Earlier this year, he travelled to Hawaii with his wife and their two surviving daughters ahead of his trial.
