Yellowstone actor Mo Brings Plenty has alleged that his nephew, Cole Brings Plenty, was murdered, accusing local police of failing to properly investigate the case. Cole, 27, was found dead in a wooded area of Kansas in April 2024, days after being reported missing. The Johnson County Sheriff's Office initially stated there was no evidence of foul play.
In an interview with The Hollywood Reporter, Mo, a member of the Oglala Lakota tribe, expressed his disbelief at the conclusion. '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,' he said. 'We’re not letting it go.'
Mo claimed he saw evidence suggesting his nephew was caught, contradicting the official findings. 'I saw his body, I saw the evidence that is there that someone caught him,' he stated. 'So for them to say that there was nothing, I can’t believe that. I still can’t.'
At the time of his disappearance, Cole was a suspect in a domestic violence incident. Lawrence police reported that traffic cameras showed him leaving the city immediately after the incident. Mo alleged that authorities were 'hunting' rather than searching for his nephew, and that only after he rented a helicopter did police intensify their efforts.
The Lawrence Kansas Police Department (LKPD) denied the allegations, stating they provided a complete presentation of evidence to the family. 'The entire case contains clear evidence that there was no foul play involved in Cole’s death and that Cole acted alone,' a spokesperson said. They added that the family had petitioned to seal the autopsy and case files, and that any confusion stems from the family's messaging.
Cole Brings Plenty, a media student at Haskell Indian Nations University, was known for his role in the Western series 1923. His father, Joe Brings Plenty Sr., has also called for a full investigation. Mo described Cole as 'the future' of their people, saying, 'It was a hard loss for us because this was an individual who was speaking our language, singing our songs and carrying on our traditions.'
