The Johnson County Sheriff’s Office announced via Facebook on Wednesday that there was “no indication of foul play” after the body of actor Cole Brings Plenty was found in a wooded area in Kansas.
“This is a tragic case for everyone involved,” Lawrence Police Chief Rich Lockhart said in a statement. “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 continued. “I learned through this series of events that our Police Department must work harder to increase trust with our Native American community members.”
According to Lockhart, working with both Plenty’s family and other members of the Native American community made him realize that the police force is “not where we need to be in partnering with a community that is very important to Lawrence’s history and to its current culture.”
“This sad series of events has been shared around the world,” Lockhart continued, adding that he hopes the future relationship between Native Americans and police officers “will create a relationship that will not only increase trust and understanding, but will also be a model for other communities.”
Plenty, the nephew of “Yellowstone” actor Mo Brings Plenty, was found dead close to an unoccupied vehicle last week after being reported missing by his family on March 31.
Police have yet to issue a cause of death for the 27-year-old “1923” actor.
Cole was last seen on Easter Sunday and was named a “missing person” on April 2. In records obtained by The Post, Kansas police then named Cole as a person of interest in two offenses: “aggravated domestic battery; choke in rude manner; family member/dating relationship” and “aggravated burglary; dwelling for felony, theft, domestic violence, or sexually motivated crime.”
“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,” the department said in a social media post on Tuesday.
“This incident involves allegations of domestic violence, which limits the amount of information we can share to protect the victim. No further details will be provided.”
Cole’s manager said in a statement: “Despite our persistent efforts, we have been unable to establish contact with Cole” adding that the actor’s disappearance without informing anyone of his whereabouts is uncharacteristic of Cole and deeply concerning.”
After his body was found, his father, Joe Brings Plenty, broke his silence via a statement shared by Mo on Instagram.
“We want to express our heartfelt gratitude to everyone for the prayers and positive thoughts you sent for Cole,” he wrote. “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.”
Cole appeared in episodes 7 and 8 of the first season of the “Yellowstone” spinoff “1923.”
