The mother of a Navajo Nation man who was kidnapped and branded with a swastika feels relieved by a plea bargain in the case but says her family will live with the pain for the rest of their lives.

Paul Beebe, 27, and Jesse Sanford, 25, admitted their roles in the attack on Vincent Kee, 22. They face a maximum of eight-and-a-half years in prison.

"It was very stressful going through the trial the last time," Kee's mother, Bernice Silversmith, told The Farmington Daily Times. "After I heard about the plea bargain, that was a relief."

Another defendant went to trial for the crime in May. William Hatch, 29, was cleared of most of the charges against him.

But all three men face a hate crimes trial in federal court.

Get the Story:
Navajo Nation, branding victim's mother speak about plea agreement (The Farmington Daily Times 7/26)

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