Arizona Father Found Dead Ahead of Sentencing in Daughter’s Hot Car Death
Christopher Scholtes, 38, was discovered dead in a Phoenix residence on November 5, according to Maricopa County Coroner’s records. His death came just over a week after he pleaded guilty to the murder of his 2-year-old daughter, who tragically died in a hot car with interior temperatures reaching 109 degrees.
The autopsy is pending, and results are expected in early 2026. The exact cause of death remains under investigation, according to authorities.
“Officers discovered Scholtes’s body after responding to a call at 5:22 a.m.,” said Brian Bower of the Phoenix Police Department.
Scholtes was scheduled to surrender himself the same day he died, ahead of his sentencing set for November 21. The Pima County Attorney’s Office has so far declined to comment on the circumstances surrounding his death.
In an unexpected move last month, just days before his trial was to begin, Scholtes entered a guilty plea to murder. Prosecutors stated that under the plea agreement, he faced a prison term ranging from 20 to 30 years without the possibility of early release.
Summary
Arizona man Christopher Scholtes, who confessed to killing his daughter after she died in a hot car, was found dead before he could be sentenced, and his cause of death is still under investigation.