Yellowstone spinoff actor Cole Brings Plenty death investigation indicates no foul play involved after body of actor, 27, found in wooded area in Kansas

An investigation into the death of actor Cole Brings Plenty has found no evidence of foul play.

The Johnson County Sheriff’s Office released an update Wednesday after the actor was found dead in a wooded area in Kansas on Friday at the age of 27.

The Lakota actor is the cousin of Yellowstone star Mo Brings Plenty, 54, and appeared in the 1923 prequel.

“Detectives, crime scene investigators and the medical examiner’s office have been working closely with Lawrence Police and the Brings Plenty family. There is no evidence of foul play in the death of Cole Brings Plenty,” a spokesperson said statement released by Sheriff Calvin Hayden.

The actor’s cause of death is unknown.

Mo had shared a missing persons poster of his cousin on Instagram on Tuesday (April 2), announcing that Cole had last been seen the previous Sunday, ‘Easter Eve’.

Kansas police had issued an affidavit Sunday for Cole’s arrest in connection with a domestic violence incident.

Fans were quick to express their condolences on X, formerly Twitter, as one wrote: “Rest in Piece [sic] to the missing Indigenous man – Cole Brings Plenty.”

Another said: ‘Cole Brings Plenty’s passing is so heartbreaking. I sympathize with his family as they held on to hope and did everything they could to find him. I hope a full investigation is conducted and the family gets the answers they deserve.”

The Lawrence, Kansas Police Department said Tuesday afternoon, April 2, that officers had filed an affidavit with the Douglas County District Attorney’s Office for Cole’s arrest.

According to 12News, officers received reports of a “woman screaming for help” at an apartment in Lawrence on Sunday morning.

It was alleged that Cole “drove away from the scene and was believed to be driving southbound on Highway 59,” the site claimed.

He was last known to be driving a white 2005 Ford Explorer with a Kansas license plate.

The poster from Mo’s Instagram stated that Cole had missed a scheduled meeting with his agent for a TV show, behavior described as “out of character.”

The poster also emphasized that his cell phone was turned off.

Cole, best known for his role as sheepherder Pete Plenty Clouds in 1923, was last seen leaving Lawrence, Kansas in his car on Sunday evening, as shown in the poster.

Mo’s Yellowstone co-star Cole Hauser, who plays Rip Wheeler on the series, also shared the poster on his Instagram, urging followers to come forward with information if they’ve seen Cole in Kansas City since Easter Eve.

Yellowstone costars Michelle Randolph and Kelsey Asbille also made similar calls on social media, urging their fans to join the search for Cole.

Cole’s father, Joseph Brings Plenty Sr., had also posted a call for help on Facebook.

“If anyone knows where my son Cole Brings Plenty is please tell him to call me,” Joseph wrote in his post. “His family is very concerned about him.”

Cole’s sister Belle also posted his missing poster on Instagram. The poster described Cole as 6 feet tall, with long black hair and brown eyes.

Shortly after the Yellowstone stars shared the missing person poster, Lawrence police issued a statement on Facebook identifying Cole as a suspect in an incident involving domestic violence allegations.

According to the statement, authorities responded Sunday morning to reports of a woman screaming for help in an apartment.

After an investigation identified Plenty as a suspect, traffic cameras showed him leaving town immediately after the incident.

In addition, police stated that they had probable cause for his arrest and alerted local authorities.

However, due to the sensitive nature of the allegations, authorities have refrained from releasing further details about the incident.

The release stated that no additional information would be provided.

Additionally, police mentioned that Cole’s family has been in contact with authorities, expressing their concerns and reporting him missing.

In addition to 1923, Brings Plenty appeared in two INSP channel series: Into the Wild Frontier and The Tall Tales of Jim Bridger.