MTV ‘Buckwild’ Star Found Dead

01 Apr, 2013

SISSONVILLE, W.Va. (AP) — Shooting for the second season of the MTV reality show “BUCKWILD” has been suspended after a popular cast member was found dead along with two others inside a sport utility vehicle in West Virginia.

Shain Gandee was found dead Monday in the vehicle, which was found partially submerged in a deep mud pit about a mile from his home near Sissonville, authorities said. Also inside were the bodies of his uncle and another man.

Kanawha County Sheriff’s Cpl. B.D. Humphreys said the red-and-white 1984 Ford Bronco’s muffler was below the surface and that mud covered the passenger side. No foul play is suspected.

Authorities said the cause of the deaths was still under investigation and they refused to speculate on what happened. If the muffler was submerged and the engine kept running, it’s possible the cabin of the vehicle could have filled with fatal carbon monoxide from the exhaust.

Gandee, nicknamed “Gandee Candy” by fans, was a breakout star of the show that followed the antics of a group of young friends enjoying their wild country lifestyle. It was filmed last year, mostly around Sissonville and Charleston. Many of its rowdy exploits were his idea. In one episode, he turned a dump truck into a swimming pool.

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 statement 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.”

Shooting for the second season of “BUCKWILD” had begun, but MTV spokesman Jake Urbanski said Monday afternoon it has been suspended.

Gandee was a true outdoorsman, shedding modern conveniences such as cell phones and computers for his proud redneck ways. He loved to hunt, ride all-terrain vehicles and go “mudding,” or off-road driving. He went mudding in the show’s first episode and ruined his pickup truck’s motor.

“Shain always rides with these kids in four-wheelers and trucks,” said a neighbor, Swanna Frampton, who had known him since he was a small child. “They were just out riding and having a good time.”

Frampton said the 21-year-old Gandee “loved to live and have fun. He was a great person. 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.”

Mentioned In This Post: