Christopher Scholtes, facing a 20-30 year prison sentence for the death of his two-year-old daughter, Parker, was found dead in his car on November 5, 2025, the day he was supposed to surrender to authorities. He died of carbon monoxide poisoning, confirmed by the medical examiner, with a blood carboxyhaemoglobin level 40 times higher than normal. Scholtes had pleaded guilty to second-degree murder and child abuse in October 2025, accepting a plea deal that carried a maximum sentence of 30 years.
The medical examiner's report detailed that Scholtes took his own life, leaving a living will on the car's roof and a suicide note in the house. A neighbor reported he was found in his red Honda S2000 convertible. There appeared to be a secondary suicide method prepared in the garage, though it's unclear if it was attempted before or as a backup. His system also contained marijuana, caffeine, and diphenhydramine, and he had a history of depression, anxiety, PTSD, ADHD, and substance use. Scholtes had reportedly made suicidal statements after his daughter's death and was under significant stress due to his criminal case.
Parker died in July 2024 when Scholtes left her in a parked car with the air conditioning on, which later shut off automatically. Temperatures reached 43C that day, and Parker's body temperature was recorded at 42.82C, with the cause of death ruled as environmental heat exposure. Scholtes admitted to leaving his daughter in the car for 30 minutes after she fell asleep, and he later confessed to knowing the engine would shut off. Investigators also learned from his other children, aged nine and five, that they were regularly left alone in the car while Scholtes played video games and put away food. Prosecutors alleged he was drinking beer, playing video games, and watching adult content while Parker died. Surveillance footage showed him returning home with Parker around 1pm, but he only took action when his wife returned at 4pm and asked about their daughter. Text messages between Scholtes and his wife indicated a pattern of leaving children in the car, with his wife expressing repeated warnings.