An Arizona father, who recently admitted to the tragic death of his 2-year-old daughter after leaving her in a sweltering vehicle, has been discovered deceased.

Authorities found 38-year-old Christopher Scholtes on November 5, the day he was scheduled to surrender for his sentencing. Investigations into his death are ongoing, with initial reports suggesting he may have taken his own life.

Scholtes had faced murder charges following the incident in which his daughter, Parker, was left strapped in her car seat for nearly three and a half hours under scorching temperatures exceeding 100 degrees.

Scholtes was charged with murder after leaving his daughter, Parker, strapped into her car seat in a car for nearly 3 1/2 hours in temperatures over 100 degrees.

A father of three, Scholtes was inside drinking, playing video games and watching pornography while his youngest child was left in the vehicle, investigators said.

Text messages from his wife showed that she had repeatedly asked him to stop leaving their children in the car.

Scholtes initially rejected a plea deal but later changed his mind and pleaded guilty to second-degree murder. He would have faced a sentence of 20 to 30 years in prison without the possibility of parole.