An Arizona dad who murdered his two-year-old daughter by leaving her in a hot car was found dead in his home as his sentencing date approached.
Christopher Scholtes, 38, was found dead in his home on November 5. PEOPLE reported that Scholtes had already pleaded guilty to murder and was about to be taken into custody to await sentencing.
ABC 15 reported that the medical examiner is investigating Scholtes death, although Pima County Attorney's Office stated that Scholtes took his own life.
According to the network, Scholtes was set to be taken into custody on the day he was found with a sentencing date set for November 21.
The outlet reported that he faced 20 to 30 years in prison without the possibility of parole after pleading guilty to second-degree murder. If he'd gone to trial on the charges, he would have faced life in prison.
Scholtes, a father of three, was charged following the July 2024 death of his youngest child. According to PEOPLE, Scholtes left the child in the car while he played video games and searched porn. Temperatures outside reached 109 degrees on that day.
The child's body was found when the girl's mother returned home. According to PEOPLE, Scholtes had gone to do errands and returned three hours before the child's body was found.
