TUCSON, Ariz (KGUN) — It looks like a second attempt for a plea deal has fallen through in the case of a father charged with murder after his two year old daughter died after being left in a hot car.
Prosecutors say Christopher Scholtes left his daughter in a car, in front of their house, for nearly three hours. They say Scholtes was drinking, playing video games and watching pornography while his daughter stayed strapped into her car seat on a hot summer day.
A judge agreed the pornography claim would prejudice a jury, so prosecutors can not mention it, but they can mention several warnings Scholtes allegedly received about the dangers of leaving children in a car.
In March, Scholtes rejected a chance to plead guilty to second-degree murder. That would have avoided a first-degree murder trial where a guilty verdict could have led to a life sentence. Second-degree murder calls for 10 to 25 years.
Scholtes’ attorney made a fresh attempt for a plea deal, but a settlement conference with prosecutors this week did not lead to any sort of deal.
Now Scholtes is set for a hearing next week to set a trial date. Unless his trial is postponed again, it is set to start Oct. 27.
