An Arizona man who faced decades in prison after leaving his 2-year-old daughter to die in a hot car while he was inside watching adult videos has died – possibly by suicide, according to reports.
Christopher Ryan Scholtes, 38, was due to go to prison, but failed to appear at a hearing on Wednesday, the same day he was found dead inside a Phoenix home, ABC 15 reported.
Scholtes was accused of leaving his 2-year-old daughter, Parker, in a hot car outside his family’s home last year. He accepted a plea deal after initially rejecting it and pleaded guilty to second-degree murder.
He was slated to be sentenced on November 21 and would have spent up to 30 years behind bars, with no chance of parole, AZFamily reported.
Authorities are now investigating his death as a suicide, according to the report.
Scholtes’ death came over a year after Parker was found dead in the driveway of the family’s home on a scorching July day, as temperatures soared to about 109 degrees Fahrenheit (42 Celsius).
Investigators at the time said Parker had been strapped into her car seat inside the hot car for almost three-and-a-half hours as her father sat in the living room drinking, playing video games and watching pornography, according to ABC 15.
The little girl was found only when Scholtes’ wife came home, and after she reminded him over text to stop leaving their children in the car while he was inside.
Scholtes’ two other children told authorities their dad left all three of them in the car regularly, and that “he got distracted by playing his game and putting his food away,” when their sister died, according to AZFamily.
The Maricopa Medical Examiner’s office said a report on his death would be available in 90 days.
If you are based in the USA, and you or someone you know needs mental health assistance right now, call or text 988 or visit 988lifeline.org to access online chat from the 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline. This is a free, confidential crisis hotline that is available to everyone 24 hours a day, seven days a week. If you are in another country, you can go to www.befrienders.org to find a helpline near you. In the UK, people having mental health crises can contact the Samaritans at 116 123 or jo@samaritans.org
