14 DAY TRIAL // Shain Gandee, star of MTV’s controversial reality show “Buckwild,” was found dead in his truck the other day, together with his uncle and another, still unidentified male. Authorities have confirmed the cause of death.
The three died of carbon monoxide poisoning, as speculated shortly after word of the tragedy got out.
“A rep for the Kanawha County Sheriff's Office released a statement saying Shain's autopsy was completed today. The death was ruled an accident,” TMZ reports.
All three men died of carbon monoxide poisoning after the car became stuck in the mud which, photos from the scene show, covered it up to the windows.
“Shain's uncle and a male friend also died while inside Shain's 1984 Bronco, which had stalled out in mud while the crew went off-roading over the weekend. The truck's exhaust pipe had apparently been submerged in mud, causing the gas to leak back into the car,” the same media outlet says.
There was no phone reception in the area, so the three men could not call for assistance. Their bodies were found too late, by an ATV rider who was out in the area.
At the time, Shain and his uncle had been missing for 31 hours and police were already looking for them.
Following reports that his family could not afford the funeral expenses, producers have offered to cover them instead, the same celebrity publication says in a separate post.
“Shain was a great kid with a big heart who had endless love for his mom and dad. I am from West Virginia and this show reminded me of how I grew up,” Parallel Entertainment CEO J.P. Williams, which produces the show, says.
A public service will take place this Sunday. Money raised from donations will go to Shain’s family.
As for public pressure on MTV to cancel the show in the aftermath of the tragedy, the network is keeping as quiet as a mouse on this count.