Crime
Melanie Nadler Litt Found, but Husband Lesley Litt Says She Remains Unsafe and in a Mental Health Crisis
COBB COUNTY, GA — The search for 52-year-old Melanie Nadler Litt, who was reported missing earlier this week, has taken a troubling turn despite police announcing that she had been found safe.
According to the Cobb County Police Department, Melanie Litt was located and appeared unharmed, prompting authorities to cancel the BOLO (Be On the Lookout) alert.
In a public statement, police reassured residents that “Melanie was not in any danger, and there is no indication of foul play.”
However, Melanie’s husband, Lesley Litt, has publicly disputed that assessment, stating that his wife is “not safe” and is in the midst of a severe mental health crisis.
Lesley Litt claims that Melanie is being manipulated and controlled by the man she was found with, describing the situation as one of psychological and possibly physical abuse.
Witnesses have corroborated seeing Melanie in distress.
One man, identified on social media as Billy Robertson, said he recognized her at a market — identifying her as his dentist — and confronted the man accompanying her.
According to Robertson, the man became aggressive and began shouting, after which he grabbed Melanie and quickly left the area.
In a post describing the encounter, Robertson wrote:
“I literally found the missing woman and chased the man. I confronted them, and she was so scared. When I asked if she was OK, the male grabbed her and took off with her. I gave chase. He tried to say her husband was after them.”
Lesley Litt has since confirmed that the individual seen with his wife has a history of domestic violence, including charges related to assaulting a previous partner.
He fears that Melanie, who he says is not thinking clearly, may be too afraid or disoriented to ask for help.
Melanie Litt was reported missing on Tuesday morning after failing to arrive for work at Family Dentistry at Seven Hills in Dallas, Georgia. She had worked the previous day at another office on Villa Rica Way in Marietta.
When police conducted a welfare check at her residence, they found her cell phone left behind, though her vehicle was missing. That vehicle was later discovered abandoned behind a business on Barrett Parkway.
A coworker reported last speaking with Melanie on the evening of October 12, when she had dinner with a friend. She was scheduled to leave the following Wednesday for a trip to Japan with her husband.
Lesley Litt stated that he was out of town visiting their son when his wife disappeared and immediately contacted authorities after learning she had not shown up for work.
Despite official statements, Melanie’s husband insists that she remains in danger and is not receiving proper care or protection.
He is urging anyone who encounters her to call 988, the Suicide and Crisis Lifeline, and to report her location to authorities immediately rather than allowing her to leave.
Lesley emphasized,
“The police do not know her. They did not do her justice and let them both walk away. She needs professional mental health intervention immediately.”
The case remains under review, and concern continues to grow among family, friends, and community members who fear that Melanie Litt may still be in harm’s way.
Crime
Christopher Scholtes pleaded guilty in hot car death of two-year-old Parker Scholtes in Marana
MARANA, ARIZONA — A Tucson-area father accused of leaving his two-year-old daughter to die in a sweltering vehicle while he drank alcohol and watched pornography has accepted a plea deal to avoid a first-degree murder trial.
Christopher Scholtes, 37, pleaded guilty Wednesday morning in Pima County Superior Court to second-degree murder with a domestic violence enhancement and child abuse.
Under the terms of the agreement, Scholtes will serve a minimum of 20 years and a maximum of 30 years in state prison.
He will remain out of custody for two additional weeks before beginning his sentence later this month.
The Pima County Attorney’s Office said the plea provides “justice for Parker and closure for the community.”
“We are grateful for the hard work and dedication of our prosecutors, victim advocates, and staff for their collaboration with local law enforcement on this complicated and high-profile case,” the office said in a statement. “This is yet another reminder that we will do everything possible to seek justice for victims, particularly those who are most vulnerable.”
The case stems from the death of two-year-old Parker Scholtes in Marana, Arizona, in July of last year.
According to investigators, Scholtes arrived home with Parker asleep in her car seat and decided not to wake her.
Instead, he went inside to play video games, drink beer, and watch pornography, leaving the toddler unattended in the vehicle during extreme summer heat.
Scholtes initially told police that he had left the vehicle running with the air conditioning on but lost track of time.
Investigators later determined the vehicle’s engine had shut off, and Parker remained trapped in temperatures that reached up to 190 degrees Fahrenheit inside the car.
Evidence showed she was left alone for approximately three hours, not one hour as Scholtes first claimed.
When Scholtes’ wife, Dr. Erika Scholtes, returned home from her hospital shift, she discovered Parker unresponsive inside the family’s Acura SUV.
Despite her efforts to perform CPR and the response of firefighters, Parker was pronounced dead at the hospital.
Authorities also learned through interviews that Scholtes had a history of leaving his three children unattended in vehicles for extended periods.
Throughout the legal proceedings, Erika Scholtes—an anesthesiologist—remained supportive of her husband, calling the child’s death a “tragic mistake.”
Despite the seriousness of the charges, Scholtes was released on bail shortly after his arrest.
In April, defense attorneys successfully petitioned to modify his bail conditions, allowing Scholtes to travel to Maui, Hawaii, for a family vacation from May 1 to May 9 with his wife and two surviving daughters.
The request was approved by Judge Kimberly Ortiz, despite objections from prosecutors.
Scholtes’ formal sentencing hearing is scheduled later this month, at which time he will return to custody to begin serving his prison term.