The only person charged in the unsolved 2021 disappearance of Navajo elder Ella Mae Begay is due to be sentenced on Friday. Preston Henry Tolth, 26, faces a maximum of five years in prison under a plea agreement, with credit for three years already served. He pleaded guilty to robbing Begay and stealing her pickup truck.
If the judge approves the deal, it will close the case against Tolth, which has been hampered by a lack of physical evidence and the suppression of his confession. The FBI agent’s use of a lie about evidence led to the confession being thrown out, weakening the prosecution’s case and prompting the plea bargain.
Begay’s family have urged the court to reject the agreement, saying they want Tolth to lead investigators to her remains. The 62-year-old grandmother and weaver vanished from her home in Sweetwater, Arizona, in June 2021. Her case has become a symbol of the crisis of violence against Native Americans.
Tolth, whose father was dating Begay’s sister, initially denied involvement but later confessed to beating her and leaving her for dead. The judge had previously rejected a more lenient plea deal of time served, calling it too soft. Navajo Nation police say finding Begay remains a priority, but the federal investigation must conclude first.
