EDGEWOOD, N.M. (AP) — Preston Henry Tolth, a man connected to the 2021 disappearance of Navajo woman Ella Mae Begay, pleaded guilty to robbery on Thursday. This plea marks a significant turn in a case that has highlighted the ongoing epidemic of violence against Native American women. Tolth appeared before a federal judge in Phoenix, Arizona, and has been in custody since 2023. If the court accepts the plea agreement he negotiated with prosecutors, he will not face any additional prison time.
Prosecutors accused Tolth of assaulting Begay and stealing her Ford F-150 pickup truck, which he drove across state lines. In his plea agreement, Tolth admitted to repeatedly punching Begay in the face and abandoning her on the side of the road before selling her truck for money and drugs. Begay’s case has drawn national attention to the staggering rates of violence experienced by Native peoples, energizing tribal leaders and victim advocates who are pushing for improved law enforcement resources and collaborative investigative efforts across different jurisdictions.
In recent years, numerous marches, listening sessions, and congressional hearings have occurred, and federal authorities have dispatched more investigators and prosecutors to essential locations across the United States to address these issues and hold offenders accountable. Despite these efforts, Ella Mae Begay remains missing, causing ongoing heartbreak for her family.
Begay, known as a master rug weaver in her community, resided in Sweetwater, Arizona, located near the Four Corners Monument. Her eldest son, Gerald Begay, remembered her as a person always willing to help others, even strangers. During the court proceedings, which Gerald attended via phone from Denver, he expressed his frustration at the plea deal, labeling it a “slap on the wrist” for Tolth. He criticized law enforcement actions during interrogations, which he believes compromised his family’s pursuit of justice.
Gerald Begay made an emotional plea for authorities to locate his mother’s remains, stating, “She belongs in the community where she resided. If I could bring my mother home, I could at least have some closure.” Timothy Courchaine, the interim U.S. Attorney for the district of Arizona, declined a request for an interview regarding the case, and Tolth's attorneys have not responded to media inquiries about the plea agreement.
Initially, Tolth had pleaded not guilty to charges of assault and carjacking resulting in serious bodily injury, which carry maximum penalties of 10 and 25 years in prison, respectively. However, in August 2025, a federal appeals court ruled that a confession made by Tolth during interrogations could not be used in court, as officers failed to respect his request to stop speaking and persuaded him to waiver his right to remain silent.
A sentencing hearing for Preston Henry Tolth is scheduled for April 9 in Phoenix, where the outcome will further impact the ongoing pursuit of justice in the case of Ella Mae Begay and highlight broader issues of violence against Native American communities.
