One Ceremony, Two Tributes: U.S. Marshals Memorial for Monica Also Honors Late Yellowstone Star
A year after Monica’s death, marshals dedicated a memorial that doubled as a tribute to Yellowstone star Mo Brings Plenty’s late nephew Cole, with Sunday’s April 5 CBS episode staging a traditional Broken Rock remembrance for Monica alongside her son Tate.
TV and real life collided on Marshals this week in a way you do not see often. The show staged a memorial for a character, and the cast used that same moment to honor a member of their own family off camera.
On-screen: Monica gets a remembrance one year later
In the Sunday, April 5 episode of the CBS series, Monica (Kelsey Asbille) was honored in a traditional remembrance ceremony on the Broken Rock reservation. The scene brought together her son Tate (Brecken Merrill), husband Kayce (Luke Grimes), and her grandfather (Rudy Ramos) to pay tribute one year after her death.
Off-screen: the cast turned it into a real memorial
After the episode aired, Arielle Kebbel said the ceremony doubled as a real memorial for Cole Brings Plenty, who had appeared on the Yellowstone spinoff 1923. Cole was the nephew of Mo Brings Plenty, who currently plays Mo on Marshals. Kebbel told People that Mo attended the event in the wake of his nephew's death, making the day personal for the cast and crew in a very direct way.
What happened with Cole Brings Plenty
- March 2024: A warrant was issued for Cole in connection with a reported domestic violence incident. Police said they were called after reports of a screaming woman; by the time officers arrived, Cole had left in his vehicle. Mo Brings Plenty and his Yellowstone costar Cole Hauser publicly asked for help locating him.
- Days later: Cole was found dead at age 27. No cause of death was made public.
- Afterward: In a March interview with The Hollywood Reporter, Mo questioned how authorities handled the search and the case, saying it was written off as no foul play without proper effort. He described the loss as heartbreaking and said his family would not let the matter drop, adding that he had seen Cole's body and believed there was evidence someone had harmed him.
"They weren't even really looking for him. They were hunting him."
Mo also spoke about what Cole meant to their community, calling him a young person who was speaking their language, singing their songs, and carrying on their traditions. In his words, Cole represented the future they want to see for their culture.
Police respond with their version of the case
The Lawrence Police Department addressed Mo's claims in a statement to Us Weekly. They offered condolences and said they had presented the family with a complete, in-person review of the case, including videos, witness statements, and photographs. According to the department, the family chose not to release those materials publicly and officers honored that request.
LPD also said that once the case concluded, the family petitioned the court to seal the autopsy report, the medical examiner's file, investigative files from both the Lawrence, Kansas Police Department and the Johnson County, Kansas Sheriff's Department, and Cole Brings Plenty's death certificate. A judge approved that request. The department maintains that the evidence shows no foul play and that Cole acted alone, and added that any confusion or speculation stems from the family's messaging. They said they are willing to release a full report of their investigative work if the family gives permission.
So yes, the Marshals memorial was a plot point, but it was also a raw, real goodbye for the people making the show. However you land on the investigation, that grief is not pretend.