The Arizona dad who killed himself as an alternative of serving a long time behind bars after leaving his 2-year-old daughter to bake to demise in a scorching automobile was rumored to be having an affair with the married lady subsequent door, neighbors advised police.
Christopher Scholtes, 38, was discovered useless in his SUV contained in the storage of his Phoenix house round 5:20 a.m. on Nov. 5, the identical morning he was because of report for a 20- to 30-year jail sentence for the homicide of his daughter, Parker.
He had pleaded responsible final month to second-degree homicide and intentional baby abuse.
Dr. Erika Scholtes, his anesthesiologist spouse, had defended him for greater than a yr after the tragedy and backed his bail and journey requests, at the same time as prosecutors ready to ship him away.
Neighbors, although, advised cops they believed Scholtes was getting near another person: 37-year-old gross sales government Katelyn Schacht, who lived subsequent door.
Incident experiences reviewed by the Each day Mail present a number of residents describing a “particular relationship” between the 2 and saying the neighborhood had a “widespread consensus” the pair have been having an affair.
Neighbor Michael Kramer stated Scholtes’ younger daughters typically escaped from the home and wandered the streets and that Schacht “had many tales” in regards to the youngsters getting unfastened.
One other neighbor, Kristine Verdugo, advised police she doubted Schacht could be sincere with investigators due to her ties to Scholtes, whereas resident Sarah Godsil stated neighbors generally needed to kind “search events” when the kids or pets bought out whereas Scholtes was sleeping “or one thing else occurs.”
Godsil added that Schacht continuously excused his conduct and that some believed “one thing was happening.”
Police interviewed Schacht and her husband hours after Parker’s demise. She advised investigators Scholtes’ older daughters got here to her door crying and stated their mom was performing CPR.
“Mommy and daddy are calling 911 and mommy is giving her CPR,” one woman stated, in line with the report.
Scholtes is believed to have died of carbon-monoxide poisoning, although the trigger hasn’t been formally confirmed, the Maricopa County health worker advised the Each day Mail.
His demise got here sixteen months after Parker died in a July 2024 warmth wave when he left her strapped contained in the household Acura for greater than three hours.
Courtroom data say he spent the afternoon inside consuming stolen beer, watching pornography and enjoying video video games whereas temperatures outdoors hit 108 levels.
Scholtes advised investigators he misplaced observe of time whereas gaming and consuming. Surveillance footage confirmed he left Parker within the SUV shortly earlier than 1 p.m., and she or he was discovered unresponsive by her mom after 4 p.m.
The temperature contained in the automobile hit 108.9 levels when first responders arrived, in line with the Pima County Medical Examiner.
Textual content messages in police recordsdata present Erika Scholtes confronting her husband about consuming, alleged drunk driving and what she known as a worsening sample of reckless conduct.
“You haven’t proven me you’ll be able to cease placing the ladies at risk or not deal with me badly,” she wrote in a textual content change on March 11 of final yr.
After Parker’s demise, she texted him once more in anger: “I advised you to cease leaving them within the automobile. What number of occasions have I advised you?”
“Babe, I’m sorry,” he replied. “Babe, our household. How may I do that? I killed our child, this will’t be actual.”
The couple’s two older kids later advised police their father typically left them alone within the automobile, in line with the experiences.
His 17-year-old daughter from a earlier marriage alleged in a lawsuit filed days earlier than his demise that he’d been leaving her unattended in automobiles for hours since she was “youthful than 7.”
Meaning Scholtes had been leaving his youngsters in automobiles for greater than a decade earlier than the conduct lastly turned lethal.
Schacht and Erika Scholtes couldn’t be reached for remark.
If you’re scuffling with suicidal ideas or are experiencing a psychological well being disaster and stay in New York Metropolis, you’ll be able to name 888-NYC-WELL without spending a dime and confidential disaster counseling. In case you stay outdoors the 5 boroughs, you’ll be able to dial 988 to succeed in the Suicide & Disaster Lifeline or go to SuicidePreventionLifeline.org.
