Death of ‘1923’ actor Cole Brings Plenty shows ‘no indication of foul play,’ sheriff says
Malia Mendez April 11, 2024
No foul play is suspected in the
recent
death of 1923 actor Cole Brings Plenty, authorities said.
Wednesday.
The 27-year-old nephew of Yellowstone actor Mo Brings Plenty was reported missing by his family
Mar.
March 31
afterfollowing
an alleged domestic violence incident. Nearly a week later, deputies found his body near an unoccupied vehicle in a wooded area outside Kansas City.
Detectives, crime scene investigators, and the Medical Examiner’s Office have been working diligently with the Lawrence Police Department and the Brings Plenty family. There is no indication of foul play in the death of Cole Brings Plenty, said a statement released
Wednesday
by Johnson County Sheriff Calvin Hayden.
No cause of death was identified.
Meanwhile, local police
in Lawrence, Kan.,
are facing criticism for purportedly treating Brings Plenty primarily as a criminal fugitive rather than a person in crisis or potential victim an accusation addressed Wednesday by
Lawrence
Police Chief Rich Lockhart.
This is a tragic case for everyone involved. Your Police Department worked very hard to investigate the incidents and worked very hard to find Cole. None of us could have imagined this outcome, Lockhart wrote on Facebook.
I learned through this series of events that our Police Department must work harder to increase trust with our Native American community members, Lockhart continued. “Through meeting with Coles family members and members of our Native American community, I clearly see that we are not where we need to be in partnering with a community that is very important to Lawrences history and to its current culture.
Authorities’ centuries-long neglect to adequately investigate cases of missing and murdered indigenous people has impeded such trust-building efforts nationwide,
previously reported.deleted cuz that story was about california specifically … but good instinct /cdz
Last week,
t
he Cheyenne River Sioux Tribe of which Brings Plenty was a citizen called for a full and thorough investigation into Coles disappearance and subsequent death and said its attorney general would be contacting Kansas officials to ensure this is accomplished.
Before he went missing, Brings Plenty attended a concert at the Replay Lounge in Lawrence
, Kansas
on March 30. That night, witnesses
say said,
his braids got tangled in a microphone cable, and a patron attempting to free him cut his hair off without his permission,
the
Daily Beast reported.
As a native person, this is a serious violation, the band performing that night, Beneather, wrote in a since-deleted post.
After leaving the bar around 1 a.m. on
on Mar. March
31, Brings Plenty allegedly went to a nearby apartment,
t
he Lawrence Times reported.
There, officers later responded to reports of a female screaming for help,
the
Lawrence
Kansas p
olice
Department
said in an
Apr. April
2 Facebook post.
Lawrence Police have submitted an affidavit to the District Attorney for the arrest of Cole Brings Plenty after an incident Sunday morning at an apartment in Lawrence. Weve identified him as the suspect, have probable cause for his arrest, and issued an alert to area agencies, the department said, adding,
that
The suspect fled before officers arrived.
Police also said that traffic cameras showed Brings Plenty leaving the city immediately after the incident. They did not reveal the identity of the woman involved.
After Brings Plentys body was found, his father, Joe Brings Plenty Sr., issued a statement shared by the young actors uncle on Instagram.
We want to express our heartfelt gratitude to everyone for the prayers and positive thoughts you sent for Cole, he said. We would also like to thank everyone who came to walk beside us as we searched for my son and provided the resources we needed to expand our search areas.
He added, During this incredibly difficult time, we ask for privacy as we process our grief and figure out how we move forward
, he continued .”
On
Apr. 6 Saturday
, Indigenous-led grassroots group Rising Hearts launched the campaign #BraidsForCole in honor of the late
Mnicouju Mnicoujou
Lakota actor.
Cole Brings Plenty, an Indigenous relative taken too soon, Rising Hearts wrote on Instagram. We honor your life by braiding our hair in your memory, for your family, for all the sacred hair and braids in our communities.
