A man charged in the 2021 disappearance of Navajo woman Ella Mae Begay pleaded guilty Thursday to robbery, court proceedings in Phoenix showed, in a case that has continued to draw attention to violence and missing-persons cases affecting Native communities. Preston Henry Tolth appeared before a federal judge, according to reporting, and the plea means he would avoid additional prison time if the judge accepts the terms of the agreement with prosecutors.
The disappearance case centers on allegations that Tolth assaulted Begay, stole her Ford F-150 pickup truck, and drove it across state lines. In the plea agreement, Tolth admitted that he punched Begay in the face several times and left her on the side of the road before selling the truck for money and drugs.
Tolth entered the plea while in custody after his arrest in 2023, and the agreement would keep him from serving any additional time in prison if it is accepted. He previously pleaded not guilty to assault and carjacking resulting in serious bodily injury, charges that prosecutors said carried potential maximum prison terms of 10 years for the assault count and 25 years for the carjacking count.
The court case has also unfolded against a broader national backdrop. Begay’s disappearance has helped bring attention to a pattern of violence and disappearances in Native American communities, and over the years tribal leaders and victim advocates have urged law enforcement resources and cooperation across jurisdictional lines.
Her family said the case remains unresolved. Begay has never been found, and her family continues to seek answers about her whereabouts and remains.
Gerald Begay, the eldest of Begay’s three children, listened to the Thursday proceeding by phone from Denver. He characterized the plea deal as a “slap on the wrist” and said the family believes mistakes made by law enforcement during interrogations harmed its ability to reach what it viewed as a just outcome.
Gerald Begay called on authorities to find his mother’s remains, saying, “She belongs in the community where she resided,” and adding, “If I could bring my mother home, I could at least have some closure.” He said he wanted to recover Begay so her family could have closure.
In the U.S. Attorney’s office, Timothy Courchaine, the interim U.S. attorney for the District of Arizona, declined a request for an interview, and attorneys representing Tolth did not respond to a request for comment.
The plea comes after a federal appeals court ruling in August 2025 that said Tolth’s confession was not admissible because officers did not honor his decision to stop speaking during interrogation and instead persuaded him to waive his right to remain silent. A sentencing hearing is scheduled for April 9 in Phoenix.