Crime
Demar King arrested and charged with murder of 40-year-old Odeal Curley in Fuller Park
CHICAGO, IL — Chicago Police have charged a Calumet City man with murder following the fatal shooting of a woman in the city’s Fuller Park neighborhood over the weekend.
Authorities identified the suspect as 35-year-old Demar King, who now faces multiple charges, including one felony count of first-degree murder, two additional felony charges, four misdemeanor offenses, and several traffic citations after allegedly fleeing from law enforcement.
According to police, the shooting occurred around 12:40 a.m. on Saturday in the 5400 block of South Shields Avenue.
The victim, 40-year-old Odeal Curley, had just stepped off a private bus when King reportedly produced a firearm from within the vehicle and opened fire, striking her in the right thigh.
Emergency responders from the Chicago Fire Department provided immediate medical care at the scene before transporting Curley to the University of Chicago Medical Center, where she was later pronounced dead.
Following the shooting, police issued a wanted bulletin (BOLO) and an arrest warrant for King. On Sunday, Illinois State Police spotted his vehicle traveling on a local expressway and attempted a traffic stop.
King refused to comply, leading officers on a pursuit that ended near Union Avenue and Canalport Avenue on the Lower West Side, where he was taken into custody without further incident.
King was scheduled to appear for a detention hearing at the Cook County Criminal Courthouse on Tuesday.
Police officials emphasized that coordinated efforts between local and state law enforcement were key to King’s swift apprehension, ensuring that the suspect was taken into custody within 24 hours of the fatal shooting.
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.