Yellowstone Universe Actor Cole Brings Plenty Dead At 27

Cole Brings Plenty, the nephew of "Yellowstone" star Mo Brings Plenty and a recurring actor on the show's prequel spin-off series "1923," was found dead late Friday morning in Johnson County, Kansas, less than a week after he was reported missing. He was 27 years old.

Brings Plenty's death was confirmed in a statement published on the Johnson County Sheriff's Office Facebook page, which noted that deputies found a deceased male in a wooded area not far away from the unoccupied vehicle they were sent to investigate. This tragic development came just days after Mo Brings Plenty took to Instagram to share a missing person poster that stated his nephew was last seen on the morning of Easter Sunday, March 31, and had missed a meeting with his agent, which was "uncharacteristic" for the young actor.

Although further details remain scant, the Lawrence, Kansas Police Department confirmed on its Facebook page on the afternoon of April 2 that an arrest warrant had been issued for Cole Brings Plenty following accusations of domestic violence. The purported incident took place on the morning of March 31 at an apartment in Lawrence, and it was alleged that Brings Plenty fled the scene in a white 2005 Ford Explorer.

Mo Brings Plenty responded to these claims on Thursday, April 4, asking people not to jump to conclusions about his nephew's situation and stressing that Cole was not the type who would flee from the law regardless of the circumstances. "It is not in his character, despite what people think or say. It isn't worth it, and he would know that," the "Yellowstone" actor added.

Much like Mo Brings Plenty made an impact on "Yellowstone" while playing a character of the same name, his late nephew also played a vital supporting role in Taylor Sheridan's small-screen universe. Cole Brings Plenty portrayed sheep herder Pete Plenty Clouds on "1923," appearing in two episodes of the spin-off, where Pete and his father, Hank (Michael Greyeyes), help Teonna Rainwater (Aminah Nieves) escape from the oppressive Catholic boarding school where she and other Native American students endure unspeakable abuse from the institution's nuns and priests.

Apart from his role on "1923," Cole Brings Plenty appeared on two other TV series, both on the Western-centric network INSP — "The Tall Tales of Jim Bridger" and "Into the Wild Frontier." At the time of his disappearance, he was expected to attend a Zoom audition scheduled for Monday, April 1, according to Peter Yanke, founder of Phirgun Mair Worldwide, the talent agency that represented Brings Plenty.

"When Cole didn't show up on Zoom, I reached out to his manager," Yanke told NBC News in a statement issued on Wednesday. "We hope he is found safe and appreciate the efforts of his family, friends and film industry colleagues to try and locate him. Our thoughts go out to them during this difficult time."

If you or someone you know is dealing with domestic abuse, you can call the National Domestic Violence Hotline at 1−800−799−7233. You can also find more information, resources, and support at their website.