Christopher Scholtes, 38, struck a plea deal in the death of his 2-year-old daughter, Parker, who died of heat exposure in July 2024. He was set to be jailed for 20 to 30 years

A father, who pleaded guilty to killing two year old daughter after leaving her in a blistering hot car while he watched adult films, died on the day he was due to enter jail.

The body of Christopher Scholtes, 38, was discovered by officers with the Phoenix Police Department just before 6am on Wednesday, November 5 - the same day he was set to be booked into prison ahead of his sentencing hearing on November 21.

"We expected to be in court this morning because the father had accepted a plea agreement to second-degree murder which could have carried as much as 30 years in prison," Pima County Attorney Laura Cono

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