In a tragic twist of events, the daughter of Christopher Scholtes, an Arizona man recently convicted of murder, initiated legal proceedings against him just days before he ended his own life. This lawsuit sheds light on a troubling family history.

The suit, filed on October 28 by Scholtes’ 17-year-old daughter from a prior marriage, names both Christopher and his wife Erica as defendants. Submitted to the Superior Court of Arizona in Maricopa County, the case accuses the couple of a pattern of “repeated physical, emotional, and psychological abuse.” These alleged acts have reportedly left the teenager grappling with depression and anxiety.

According to the lawsuit, the Arizona Department of Child Safety (DCS) was notified about the abuse on at least nine separate occasions. However, the documents, as reported by News 4 Tucson, reveal that the department failed to take any protective measures.

Earlier this year, Scholtes had pleaded guilty to the murder of his 2-year-old daughter, Parker. As reported by CrimeOnline, Parker tragically died in 2024 after being left inside a hot car parked in the family’s driveway in Marana. During the incident, Scholtes was allegedly engaged in playing video games and drinking beer inside the house.

As CrimeOnline previously reported, Scholtes pleaded guilty to murder this year, in connection with his 2-year-old daughter Parker’s death. Parker died in 2024 inside a hot vehicle parked in the family’s Marana driveway, as Scholtes played video games and drank beer inside the home.

He was scheduled for a court hearing Wednesday, at the Pima County Superior Court, to turn himself in, with sentencing to happen on November 21, but never showed up. Police later found him deceased inside a home from an apparent suicide.

The alleged abuse happened from 2016 to 2021, when the plaintiff lived with the Scholtes and his wife. During that time, according to the lawsuit, Scholtes “filed a fraudulent Conservatorship” and took control of the plaintiff’s finances.

Specifically, he’s accused of collecting government benefits and financial support in the plaintiff’s name. Erica Scholtes is accused of aiding, abetting, and/or benefiting from the proceeds.

In 2021, Scholtes lost custody and she returned to her birth mother. Her mother passed away in 2024, “compounding her trauma and loss,” court documents stated.

Lindsey Eisenberg, who became the teen’s guardian for a year, told DailyMail that Scholtes had called the teen a mistake, and that the plaintiff had endured both physical and sexual abuse.

Further, part of the abuse was routinely leaving the plaintiff inside a hot car when she was younger. The first time it happened, she was reportedly younger than 7.

Eisenberg added that the teen will continue with the lawsuit against Erica Scholtes, the mother of her two surviving half-sisters, and plans to fight for custody.

Meanwhile, the teen reportedly has mixed feelings about her father’s passing. According to Eisenberg, “she is more relieved and at peace than sad.”

Check back for updates.

[Feature Photo: Christopher and Parker Scholtes/Facebook]