Post last updated at 9:45 p.m. Friday, April 5:
A Haskell student missing since Sunday has been found dead in Johnson County, according to a news release from the Johnson County Sheriff’s Office.
Cole Brings Plenty, 27, was an actor and Haskell Indian Nations University student studying media. He was found dead in the area of 200th and Homestead Lane, according to the release. That’s near Edgerton in Johnson County, about 11 miles east of Baldwin City.
Deputies were dispatched “in reference to an unoccupied vehicle,” according to the release. “Deputies checked the area and discovered a deceased male in a wooded area away from the vehicle.” They identified the man as Brings Plenty.
Crime scene investigators and the medical examiner were on the scene Friday afternoon, according to the release.
“This investigation is ongoing. If you have any information, reach out to the Johnson County Sheriff’s Office at 913-782-0720,” the release stated.
The release did not indicate whether deputies suspect foul play.
Community members and family members had been searching for Brings Plenty for the past several days and had reported him missing to police. Lawrence police were also seeking him in connection with an alleged domestic violence incident.
More than 50 people gathered at Haskell Thursday morning to coordinate efforts in the search for Brings Plenty. Volunteers planned to search zones expanding several miles east and south of Lawrence.
“The number one priority is Cole’s safety and well-being,” Kansas City Indian Center Executive Director Gaylene Crouser (Standing Rock Sioux Tribe) said at the time. “For everything else, there is a process.”
Cole’s father, Joseph Brings Plenty Sr., said Thursday that authorities didn’t seem to be pursuing the search for Cole with urgency. He said he didn’t want Cole’s case to be given less priority because he is Native American.
“Nothing’s getting done unless we do it,” Joseph (Joe) told volunteers Thursday. “We’re on another level of human being.”
Cole was known for his role in the television show “1923.” It’s a spinoff of “Yellowstone,” which features his uncle, Mo Brings Plenty.
Mo shared a statement from Cole’s father on Instagram Friday evening.
“We want to express our heartfelt gratitude to everyone for the prayers and positive thoughts you sent for Cole,” Joe said in the statement. “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. I learned this week how many people knew the goodness in Cole’s heart and loved him.”
The family asked for privacy as they process their grief and “figure out how we move forward.”
Haskell President Frank Arpan wrote in a statement on the university’s Facebook page Friday evening that “It is with heavy hearts that we mourn the loss of Cole Brings Plenty, a valued member of our university family.”
“Our thoughts are with Cole’s loved ones during this difficult time, and we ask for empathy, compassion, and respect for the family,” Arpan wrote.
Grief counselors with Morningstar Counseling will be on campus from 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. Monday, April 8 and 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Tuesday, April 9 in Tommaney Library rooms 105 and 107 to support students, staff and faculty, according to another Facebook post from the university. Morningstar can also be reached at 402-327-9711 or at contact@morningstar-counseling.com.
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