Yellowstone Star’s Anguish: Family Demands Answers in Nephew’s Death
The close-knit family of Mo Brings Plenty, the Oglala Lakota actor known for his role in the hit series Yellowstone and its spin-off 1923, is grappling with profound grief and persistent questions surrounding the death of his nephew, Cole Brings Plenty. Found deceased in a wooded area of Kansas in April 2024, just days after being reported missing, Cole’s passing has become a focal point for the family’s ongoing demand for a thorough and transparent investigation.
Mo Brings Plenty has publicly voiced his deep-seated belief that his nephew was murdered, expressing his profound disappointment with the local authorities’ handling of the case. He alleges that the Johnson County Sheriff’s Office and the Lawrence Police Department failed to adequately dedicate resources to investigate Cole’s death, instead opting to dismiss it as a case of “no foul play” without what the family considers a comprehensive inquiry.
“For his murder to go uninvestigated, and for it to be written off as ‘no foul play,’ because they didn’t want to invest anything into it? It’s heartbreaking,” Mo shared in a recent interview with The Hollywood Reporter. “We’re not letting it go.” As a taxpayer and a member of the indigenous community, Mo highlighted the injustice of feeling that his family, and by extension his people, were not afforded the same level of investigative diligence as others.
A Father’s Plea and a Family’s Grief
The loss of Cole, a 27-year-old media student at Haskell Indian Nations University, has left a significant void. He was particularly noted for his portrayal of Pete Plenty Clouds in the critically acclaimed Western drama 1923. Mo described Cole as “the future” of their people, a young man actively engaged in preserving and carrying forward their cultural heritage through language, song, and traditions.
Months following Cole’s death, his father, Joe Brings Plenty Sr., a tribal leader of the Cheyenne River Sioux, also stepped forward to demand a full and fair investigation. Speaking at the 2024 Red Nation Film Festival, Joe Sr. stated, “My boy, we have some work to do. We want a full investigation done, a fair investigation, to find out what happened with Cole.”
Allegations of Negligence and Misdirection
Mo Brings Plenty has made serious allegations regarding the initial search efforts for his nephew. He claims that the departments involved did not exert sufficient effort in locating Cole, suggesting that the focus was more on apprehending him than on a genuine search. “In fact, they weren’t even really looking for him. They were hunting him,” Mo stated. He recounted an instance where, upon renting a helicopter with a friend to conduct an aerial search, the police presence dramatically increased, implying a shift in their operations only when the family took proactive measures.
These claims have been firmly refuted by a spokesperson for the Lawrence Police Department (LKPD), who stated that a comprehensive presentation of evidence, including videos, witness statements, and photographs, was provided to the family. The spokesperson indicated that the family chose not to release these facts out of compassion, and that a judge subsequently signed a petition from the family to seal various case-related documents, including the autopsy report and law enforcement files.
The LKPD spokesperson asserted that “the entire case contains clear evidence that there was no foul play involved in Cole’s death and that Cole acted alone.” They attributed any ongoing confusion and speculation to the family’s messaging and expressed a willingness to release a full report of their investigative efforts with the family’s permission.
The Pursuit of Truth and Justice
At the time he was reported missing, Cole Brings Plenty was a suspect in a domestic violence case. Lawrence police had stated that traffic cameras showed him leaving the city immediately after responding to reports of a female screaming for help.
Despite the official statements, the Brings Plenty family remains resolute in their pursuit of answers. Mo’s conviction stems from what he describes as personal observations. “I saw his body, I saw the evidence that is there that someone caught him,” he claimed. “So for them to say that there was nothing, I can’t believe that. I still can’t.”
The family’s continued advocacy underscores a broader concern for accountability and due process, particularly for indigenous communities. Their fight for a thorough investigation into Cole’s death highlights the enduring need for trust and transparency in law enforcement’s handling of sensitive cases.
