Disturbing crime scene photos reveal the chilling last moments of two-year-old Parker Scholtes, who died after being left abandoned in a scorching SUV by her own father. The toddler perished in the back of the family’s 2023 Acura MDX as temperatures hit a brutal 42°C (109°F) in Marana, Arizona, last July.
Desperate Struggle Captured in Heartbreaking Images
Newly uncovered images show tiny handprints smeared inside the rear driver’s side window—a grim testament to Parker’s desperate fight against the killer heat. These marks were just inches from her forward-facing car seat, where temperatures inside the vehicle soared to a blistering 65°C (149°F).
On the floor beneath her dangling feet lay an iPad in a pink case and two small pink sandals—tragic relics of her final moments. The west-facing window took the full force of the afternoon sun, turning the SUV interior into a deadly oven within minutes.
Father Left Toddler to Bake While Gaming and Drinking
Christopher Scholtes, 38, left Parker strapped in her car seat for nearly three hours while he chilled in the air-conditioned house, drinking beer, playing PlayStation 5, and watching porn. Parker was found lifeless when her mother Erika, 37, returned from a hospital shift where she worked as an anaesthesiologist—the very same hospital where their daughter was later pronounced dead.
Months after the tragedy, Scholtes took his own life via carbon monoxide poisoning on November 5th—the day he was due to begin a 20 to 30-year prison sentence for second-degree murder.
Chilling Details of Father’s Neglect and Lies
- Scholtes claimed he forgot Parker was in the running SUV with air-conditioning on, saying she had fallen asleep and he “lost track of time.” Police found the engine had shut off automatically after 20 minutes, leaving Parker trapped in deadly heat.
- He insisted he believed Parker was inside the home playing with her sisters, explaining he was “resting and icing” due to sciatica from old car crash injuries.
- But his two surviving daughters told detectives their dad was glued to his PlayStation 5, with gaming gear, an open Dr Pepper, a headset, and a controller all found in the living room.
- Phone data revealed Scholtes had been browsing clothing sales and watching adult videos while Parker baked to death outside.
Paramedics’ Heartbreaking Rescue and Police Reaction
Paramedics rushed Parker to hospital, cutting open her shredded pink floral dress as they fought to save her inside the family kitchen. Officers battling the 42°C heat had to take multiple breaks, douse themselves in water, and call for extra hydration to avoid collapsing.
“I placed my hand on the hood of the car and within about a second felt a burning sensation,” one officer recalled.
Scholtes grew agitated after paramedics arrived, pacing the home and desperately trying to shower before police stopped him while collecting evidence.
“I’m being treated like a murderer, I just lost my baby,” he protested, repeatedly demanding to shower and even attempting to access the SUV before being stopped by his wife.
Family Dynamics and Cover-Ups Emerge
His daughters reported their dad sobbing all night, confessing it was his fault, though one called it “a little accident.” Detectives suspected relatives coached the children to insist Scholtes “was a good dad.”
Erika also defended him, calling the tragedy “a really terrible mistake” and claiming he had quit drinking months earlier—something police later disproved.
More Shocking Revelations: Theft, Lies, and Abuse
- Security footage caught Scholtes shoplifting three cans of beer the day Parker died. He drank one can in a petrol station bathroom before returning home.
- He rejected a plea deal offering up to 10 years but later accepted a harsher 20-30 year sentence with no parole.
- Allowed bail until sentencing day, Scholtes used the time to plan his suicide, found dead in a parked car on November 5th.
- Scholtes had a history of neglect and abuse with his oldest daughter, including leaving children alone in hot cars until air-conditioning cut out—luckily she could restart it to avoid disaster.
- His eldest daughter once called police, too scared to return home amid abuse allegations.
This harrowing case shines a brutal light on child neglect, tragic consequences, and shattered families.
