An Arizona dad, 38-year-old Christopher Scholtes, is set for trial later this month after his 2-year-old daughter perished in a hot car in the summer sunshine. The tragic accident happened on July 9, 2024, in Marana, Arizona, and has since captured national outrage after disturbing new facts were revealed in court filings. Scholtes stands accused of first-degree murder and intentional child abuse after he’s said to have left his child locked in the vehicle for over three hours while he himself was holed up inside playing video games.
Left Behind While Dad Played PlayStation
Scholtes said he left his youngest daughter sleeping in the car seat with the air conditioning and went inside with groceries, got distracted, and “forgot” he left the child in the car. Investigators noted, though, that he assuredly said he knew the engine in the car automatically shuts off after 30 minutes, which disables the air conditioning. The temperature in the vehicle rose to 109 degrees by the time his wife discovered the corpse in the car.
The Porno Bombshell That Never Went To Trial
The most sensational news coming out was from a new prosecutorial motion. Filings state that Scholtes purportedly went searching for pornography on his PlayStation while his daughter was left immobile in the car for the same three-hour span. Prosecutors sought to introduce the evidence at the forthcoming trial so that recklessness and negligence could be proved. Judge Kimberly Ortiz, however, denied the motion and held that the testimony from the search for the suspected pornographic sites cannot be discussed in the presence of the jurors. In writing, she stated that prosecutors were “precluded from eliciting testimony in their case in chief” about the search.
Kids Say Dad Did This Before
Court papers also detail shocking allegations from Scholtes’ two living daughters, then age 6 and 9. Both were interviewed and told they were left alone in the car beforehand more than once. To the ever-growing mountain of damning evidence is a shocking text message apparently sent from the wife of Scholtes while their youngest daughter was being driven to the hospital:
“I told you to stop leaving them in the car. How many times have I told you?”
From Plea Deal to Full-On Murder Trial
Prosecutors offered Scholtes a plea agreement earlier this year, reducing the charges to second-degree murder in exchange for his guilty plea. Scholtes declined the offer, maintaining he was innocent and pleading not guilty to the charges. The action left the case headed for trial with the possibility of an upgraded sentence if he were found guilty.
Murder Trial. But First, Hawaii
The proceedings in the trial have been no less controversial. In the early part of this year, Judge Ortiz granted Scholtes permission to holiday in Hawaii with his wife and two living daughters while he was in the middle of standing trial for his youngest child’s death. The move caused uproar, with his critics asking how someone standing trial for murder was so freely allowed.
The Clock is Ticking, October 27th
The Pima County Attorney’s Office officially charged Scholtes with first-degree murder and intentional child abuse in the weeks following his daughter’s death. With jury selection scheduled to commence on October 27, the trial stands to examine the tragic events of the July day in question, in addition to Scholtes’ background of leaving his children alone.
