It’s the kind of story that just sticks with you, a heartbreaking reminder of how quickly a summer day can turn into a nightmare. In a case that shocked the Tucson-area community, Christopher Scholtes, the father accused of leaving his two-year-old daughter, Parker, to perish in a dangerously hot vehicle, has finally taken a plea deal, avoiding a gruesome first-degree murder trial. The little girl’s life was tragically cut short, a ‘bright light’ extinguished because of a devastating, selfish choice.
On a sweltering July day in Marana, Arizona, Scholtes returned home with Parker asleep in her car seat. Instead of rousing the toddler from her nap and bringing her into the house, he decided to leave her in the car. What followed, according to investigators, was a chilling three-hour period during which the outside heat was unforgiving. While little Parker was trapped, her father was inside the cool house, reportedly playing video games, drinking beer, and watching pornography. He initially claimed he’d left the vehicle running with the air conditioning on, but evidence soon revealed the engine had shut off, and the temperature inside the car had soared to an unbelievable 190 degrees Fahrenheit.
The gravity of the situation became terrifyingly real when Parker’s mother, Dr. Erika Scholtes, an anesthesiologist, returned home from her hospital shift. She found her daughter unresponsive inside the family’s Acura SUV. Despite her desperate efforts to perform CPR and the quick response of emergency services, it was too late. Parker was pronounced dead at the hospital. The details of what transpired, including the initial false claim that Parker was only left alone for one hour, painted a damning picture for prosecutors.
The legal proceedings that followed have been a rollercoaster, to say the least. Scholtes was arrested and charged with first-degree murder and child abuse, yet he was astonishingly released on bail shortly after. In a move that outraged many, his defense attorneys successfully petitioned a judge in April to allow Scholtes, his wife, and their two surviving daughters to take a family vacation to Maui, Hawaii, for over a week—all while facing the prospect of life in prison. He had initially rejected a previous plea offer, opting to go to trial.
However, the tide turned this week. Christopher Scholtes, now 38, appeared in Pima County Superior Court and pleaded guilty to second-degree murder with a domestic violence enhancement, as well as a separate charge of child abuse. This agreement takes the potential first-degree murder trial—which was scheduled to begin later this month—off the table, sparing the community and Parker’s family from reliving the most painful details in open court.
Under the terms of the plea agreement, Scholtes faces a significant but defined period behind bars: a minimum of 20 years and a maximum of 30 years in state prison. The Pima County Attorney’s Office expressed that the plea provides “justice for Parker and closure for the community,” acknowledging the hard work of their team on this “complicated and high-profile case.” It sends a clear message that they will relentlessly pursue justice, especially for the most vulnerable victims.
Interestingly, Scholtes will remain out of custody for two more weeks before his formal sentencing hearing. The sentencing is scheduled for November 21st, which is when he will finally begin serving his decades-long sentence. It’s an outcome that brings a painful, public chapter to a close, a heavy penalty for a father whose terrible neglect cost his own two-year-old daughter her life.