Sumith Prasad
The second season of Paramount+’s Western series ‘1923’ begins with a tribute to Cole Brings Plenty, the actor who plays Pete Plenty Clouds. He was also recognized as the nephew of Mo Brings Plenty, who appears in over forty episodes of the mothership series ‘Yellowstone’ as Mo. Cole was also a part of the cast of the INSP shows ‘Into the Wild Frontier’ and ‘The Tall Tales of Jim Bridger.’ The actor’s death was a shock to the ‘Yellowstone’ family and fan community, who had been looking for him after he went missing on Easter evening in 2024.
Cole Brings Plenty Was Found Dead in Johnson County, Kansas
Cole Brings Plenty went missing on March 31, 2024. He was last seen driving southbound on US 59 Highway in his 2005 Ford Explorer car. When he didn’t attend an appointment with his agent the next day regarding a potential role, which was highly “uncharacteristic” of him, his family grew worried about his safety. At the time, the Lawrence Police Department in Kansas was searching for him in connection with a case involving a “woman who screamed for help” on March 31. An arrest warrant was issued in his name after charging him with aggravated burglary, domestic battery, and criminal restraint, paving the way for a widespread search to find him.
Several of Cole’s co-stars, mainly Amina Nieves, Brandon Sklenar, Julia Schlaepfer, and Michelle Randolph, and many from the extended ‘Yellowstone’ franchise, such as Cole Hauser and Kelsey Asbille, joined the Brings Plenty family to request the public to share any available information about him. The actor was eventually found dead in a wooded area near West 200th Street and Homestead Lane in Johnson County, Kansas, on April 5, 2024. An empty car was further discovered nearby. The 27-year-old actor’s father, Joe Brings Plenty Sr., confirmed the death and added, “I learned this week how many people knew the goodness in Cole’s heart and loved him.”
On April 10, 2024, the Johnson County Sheriff’s Office declared that there was “no indication of foul play” in Cole’s death. The actor’s funeral was held on April 14 in Eagle Butte, South Dakota, where hundreds arrived to see the proud son of the community for one last time. Many who were close to him and his loved ones fondly remembered the young man and his inspirational emergence and work as a Native American actor. “Cole was the great hope for a younger generation for Cheyenne River and for our native children nationwide,” Bobbie Jo Kraft, a family friend, told Daily Mail.
Cole Brings Plenty’s Cause of Death Hasn’t Been Publicized Yet
The authorities have not publicized the exact cause of the death of Cole Brings Plenty, even though nearly a year has passed since his tragic and untimely demise. On May 01, 2024, a Johnson County judge declared that the court documents concerning the investigation into the actor’s death would be sealed. These documents include the autopsy report and law enforcement case files. According to the ruling, the files would only be released to Cole’s family. As per the judge, the decision was made to respect the privacy rights of the public figure’s loved ones.
Even though Cole’s family was exempted from the purview of the court ruling, his loved ones didn’t receive adequate clarity regarding the demise of the actor. In November 2024, Joe Brings Plenty Sr. revealed that he had been “fighting to find out” what happened to his son. “My boy, we have some work to do. We want a full investigation done, a fair investigation, to find out what happened with Cole,” he said while attending the Red Nation Film Festival in Los Angeles, California, as per the Los Angeles Times. The Brings Plenty family was also critical of the Lawrence Police Department’s decision to allegedly approach Cole only as a fugitive rather than as a possible victim of a crime when he went missing.
Along with Joe, the Cheyenne River Sioux Tribe had demanded a “full and thorough investigation into Cole’s disappearance and subsequent death.” Many from the Native American community also created a petition asking for the same, which was signed by over 100,000 individuals. Despite these efforts, there haven’t been any developments in the case that were publicly disclosed. The questions raised regarding the actor’s demise remain unanswered, at least to the public. Ever since Cole’s death, the young man has been honored by many in several ways.
Cole’s uncle, Mo Brings Plenty, dedicated his New Horizon Award at the 63rd Annual Western Heritage Awards to his nephew. “He [Cole] was my mini-me, and I still love him. But he was my smile, too,” Mo said after accepting the award. As ‘1923’ honors the actor’s inspirational life and his portrayal of Pete, we wish to join the ‘Yellowstone’ franchise to share our heartfelt condolences with the Brings Plenty family.
Read More: What is Teonna’s Native American Tribe in 1923? What Language Does She Speak?
