A cast member of the MTV reality show “Buckwild” was found dead Monday in a sport utility vehicle in a ditch along with his uncle and an unidentified person, authorities said.
Kanawha County Sheriff’s Department Cpl. B.D. Humphreys said the bodies of cast member Shain Gandee, 21, his uncle David Gandee, 48, and the third person were found in a remote area near Sissonville.
Authorities had been searching for the men since early Sunday morning. They were last seen around 3 a.m. Sunday at a bar in Sissonville, and they told people they were going driving off-road.
Humphreys said state police were getting ready to send out an aviation unit to search for the men when authorities received a call Monday morning that a vehicle was found wrecked in a muddy area a few miles from Gandee’s home in Sissonville, about 15 miles outside of Charleston.
Authorities found the 1984 Ford Bronco that belonged to the Gandee family in a ditch with all three men inside. Humphreys did not provide details on the condition of the vehicle or the bodies. He said no foul play was suspected.
The terrain in the Thaxton Hollow area was “very muddy, very rough,” Humphreys said, adding that authorities had to use all-terrain vehicles to get to the site.
Kanawha County Commission President Kent Carper said the news was devastating for the small community.
“It’s a very sad day for the Sissonville area and for these families,” he said. “This is a small community, and most of us know directly members of these families. We’re keeping them in our hearts and prayers.”
Shain, nicknamed “Gandee Candy” by fans, was a breakout star of the show that followed the antics of a group of young friends enjoying a wild country lifestyle. It was filmed last year, mostly around Sissonville and Charleston.
MTV issued a statement saying it was shocked and saddened to learn of its star’s death.
“We are waiting for more information but at this time, our main concern is for the Gandee family and their friends,” the network said. “Our thoughts and prayers are with them. Shain had a magnetic personality, with a passion for life that touched everyone he met and we will miss him dearly.”
A neighbor, Swanna Frampton, said she had known Shain Gandee since he was a small child.
“He loved to live and have fun. He was a great person,” Frampton said. “He did what (the show) wanted him to do, but he wasn’t like that. He was a real person. If you needed help, if you needed something, he would come help you no matter what.”
Shooting for the second season of “Buckwild” had begun, but MTV spokesman Jake Urbanski said Monday afternoon it has been suspended. He had no further details.
MTV said the half-hour series in the old “Jersey Shore” time slot was pulling in an average of 3 million viewers per episode since its premiere and was the No. 1 original cable series on Thursday nights among 12- to 34-year-olds.
Cast mates were not available for interviews Monday, but their feelings came through on Twitter, where Ashley Whitt called her friend “the most amazing person I’ve ever known.”
Cast mate Cara Parrish and others asked fans to pray for Gandee’s parents, Loretta and Dale. “This is the emptiest I’ve ever felt,” she wrote in a tweet.
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