Christopher Scholtes, 37, has pleaded not guilty to first-degree murder in connection with the death of his daughter, Parker, on July 9, 2024, in Marana, Arizona
01:57, 16 Oct 2025
Arizona prosecutors have accused a father of drinking beer, playing video games and watching adult content while his two year old daughter tragically died from heat exposure in a car on a sweltering 109-degree day last summer.
Christopher Scholtes, 37, has pleaded not guilty after being charged with first-degree murder following the death of his daughter, Parker, on 9 July 2024. During a court hearing in Tucson on Tuesday, prosecutors argued that Scholtes has a long history of leaving his children unattended in cars, using witness testimonies and text messages between him and his wife as evidence, which were obtained during the criminal investigation.
Prosecutors claim that on this particular occasion, Scholtes was so engrossed in his video games and adult content that he left his child in the parked car in their Marana driveway for over three hours, resulting in her death.
They also presented text messages that they believe show a pattern of neglectful behaviour by the father, often leaving his children inside vehicles.
Two of his daughters informed the police that he had previously left them in cars and frequently becomes " distracted playing games" whilst "putting away food," according to police records, reports the Mirror US.
Scholtes' other two daughters told police that their dad occasionally left them alone in the car while he "got distracted by playing his game and putting away his food," as per police records.
The father confessed to authorities that he left his daughter in the car with the air conditioning on for 30 minutes as she had dozed off on their way back from shopping.
He later admitted that the car's engine automatically switches off after half an hour. It was when his wife, Erika, a doctor, returned home that she found her baby unconscious in the car.
Text messages exchanged between the couple suggest that he has left his children in the car on several occasions.
"I told you to stop leaving them in the car, how many times have I told," Erika wrote to him. "We've lost her, she was perfect."
Prosecutors claim that he confessed to his wife that he "killed our baby" and apologised for the dreadful act.