Man convicted of robbing missing Navajo elder released from prison

Family of Ella Mae Begay says release came as they continue seeking answers five years after her disappearance

June 23, 2026

Preston Tolth was released from federal prison June 15, five years after Navajo elder Ella Mae Begay disappeared from her home on the Navajo Nation, according to The Associated Press. Tolth pleaded guilty to robbing Begay and was sentenced in May to five years in prison with credit for three years already served. The Federal Bureau of Prisons said he also received credit for good conduct. Begay, a weaver and grandmother of nine, has never been found.

Begay's family said they were shocked by Tolth's release and had expected him to remain in custody until at least 2028. Tolth admitted to investigators that he stole Begay's truck, assaulted her and left her on the roadside, though a federal judge later ruled his confession inadmissible. Mary Kathryn Nagle, a citizen of the Cherokee Nation and attorney for Begay's family, told The Associated Press the case reflects broader failures in investigations involving missing and slain Indigenous people.

1.Associated Press.

1.Associated Press.

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