Man charged in Ella Mae Begay disappearance released on five-year anniversary
TUBA CITY
Five years to the day after Ella Mae Begay disappeared from her home near Sweetwater, Arizona, the only man charged in connection with her disappearance was no longer in federal custody, a date her eldest son described as cruel.
Begay, a Diné woman, was reported missing June 15, 2021, according to the FBI. Early that morning, her vehicle, a gray or silver 2005 Ford F-150 with a broken tailgate, was seen leaving her residence.
Federal Bureau of Prisons records list Preston Henry Tolth, 26, as “not in BOP custody as of” June 15, 2026. Gerald Begay, Ella Mae’s eldest son, said the family learned of the release not from authorities but from out-of-state legal counsel who reached relatives by text message late that afternoon.
“This is a slap in the face,” Gerald Begay said.
To read the full article, please see the June 18, 2026, edition of the Navajo Times.
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