Cole Brings Plenty‘s death was addressed during the season 2 premiere of 1923 with a tribute — and a recasting.
During the Sunday, February 23, episode of the Yellowstone prequel, an “In Memoriam” message was shown before Brings Plenty’s character, Pete, was reintroduced. Jeremy Guana will now be playing Pete, the son of Hank Plenty Clouds (Michael Greyeyes). Pete found Teonna (Aminah Nieves) after she ran away from the reservation school and reunited her with her father, Runs His Horse (Michael Spears).
Guana previously worked with Yellowstone creator Taylor Sheridan on 1883, another prequel of the hit Paramount+ series. Cole, meanwhile, was the nephew of Yellowstone star Mo Brings Plenty.
In March 2024, a warrant was issued for Cole’s arrest in relation to a domestic violence incident. According to a press release, authorities were called to the scene after reports of a screaming woman, but Cole had fled in his vehicle before they arrived. Mo and his Yellowstone costar Cole Hauser asked for the public’s assistance in finding his nephew.
“My good friend @mobringsplenty nephew is missing,” Hauser, 49, who plays Rip, wrote via Instagram in April 2024. “He was last seen on Easter evening in Kansas City. If you have any information on his whereabouts please contact the below or your local police.”
Cole’s father, Joseph Brings Plenty Sr., also released a statement about his son’s disappearance, writing via Facebook, “If anyone knows where my son Cole Brings Plenty is please tell him to call me. His family is very worried about him.. Last seen early morning hours on Easter morning.. He hasnt messaged me or called me back, I have some of our family and friends in the area looking for him. Love you son, just reach out to me, messaging you on your phone.”
Days later, Cole was found dead at age 27. A cause of death was not released, but Lawrence Kansas Police Chief Rich Lockhart confirmed that there was no foul play.
“None of us could have imagined this outcome,” Lockhart shared in a statement at the time. “I learned through this series of events that our Police Department must work harder to increase trust with our Native American community members. Through meeting with Cole’s family members and members of our Native American community, I clearly see that we are not where we need to be in partnering with a community that is very important to Lawrence’s history and to its current culture.”
He continued: “It’s my hope that future bridges we build and partnerships we form between our Native American community and our police department will create a relationship that will not only increase trust and understanding but will also be a model for other communities.”
Season 2 of 1923 airs Sundays on Paramount+.