Judge rejects plea deal in case tied to missing Navajo elder Ella Mae Begay
The ruling in Phoenix means Preston Henry Tolth will face trial after relatives opposed a deal tied to the missing Navajo elder
A federal judge in Phoenix has rejected a plea agreement that would have allowed a man accused in the 2021 disappearance of Ella Mae Begay to avoid additional prison time, according to reporting by the Associated Press. Preston Henry Tolth, 26, will face trial on charges of carjacking and assault. A trial date has not been set.
Under the agreement, Tolth would have been released after serving three years in exchange for pleading guilty to a single robbery count. Begay, 62, disappeared from Sweetwater, Arizona, on the Navajo Nation. Family members opposed the deal during court testimony, urging accountability and answers. A prosecutor said the case was weakened after a judge ruled Tolth’s confession inadmissible, according to the Associated Press. Tolth has not publicly commented.
- 1.Savannah Peters and Jacques Billeaud. The Associated Press, .