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Star Of MTV's 'Buckwild' Found Dead

One of the stars of the MTV reality show Buckwild was found dead Monday in an SUV along with his uncle and a third, as-yet-unidentified person, the Kanawha County, W.Va., Sheriff's Office said.

The bodies of Shain Gandee, 21, his uncle David Gandee, 48, and the third person were inside a 1984 Ford Bronco in a wooded area near Sissonville, W.Va., about 15 miles from Charleston. A statement from the Sheriff's Office said there was no sign of foul play.

"We are waiting for more information but at this time, our main concern is for the Gandee family and their friends," MTV said in a statement. "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."

Gandee and his uncle had been reported missing over the weekend. MTV News reports that they told patrons at a bar at 3 a.m. on Sunday that they were going off-roading in the Bronco. Here's more from MTV:

"Shain Gandee was one of the most popular cast members on Buckwild, earning the nickname 'Gandee Candy' for his wild stunts and sunny disposition. A second season of the show had recently been given the green light."

Kanawha County Commission President Kent Carper called the news devastating.

"It's a very sad day for the Sissonville area and for these families," Carper 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."

His comments were reported by The Associated Press, which added:

"Shain Gandee is the third Buckwildcast member to make headlines.

"Last week, 24-year-old Salwa Amin was sent back to jail for violating the terms of her bond following a February arrest. She was charged with two counts of drug possession with intent to deliver and initially jailed on $200,000 bond. That was later reduced to $100,000, but Amin remained behind bars without bond on Monday.

"State Police say a multi-agency task force arrested Amin and two other people at a Summersville residence after receiving a tip from an informant. A search found oxycodone pills, heroin and $3,000 in cash.

"Another cast mate, Michael Douglas Burford, was charged in February with driving under the influence."

Buckwild, which was filmed last year around Sissonville and Charleston, followed the adventures of a group of young friends. Last month, MTV said the series was drawing about 3 million viewers per episode, and was the most popular original cable series among 12-to-34-year-olds on Thursday night.

Copyright 2020 NPR. To see more, visit https://www.npr.org.

Krishnadev Calamur is NPR's deputy Washington editor. In this role, he helps oversee planning of the Washington desk's news coverage. He also edits NPR's Supreme Court coverage. Previously, Calamur was an editor and staff writer at The Atlantic. This is his second stint at NPR, having previously worked on NPR's website from 2008-15. Calamur received an M.A. in journalism from the University of Missouri.