The Star of MTV's 'Buckwild' Is Dead in a Backwoods Mystery
What we do know is that Gandee and his uncle were missing for 31 hours, and that they apparently had the (not-great) idea of going four-wheeling after a night out at the bar. WSAV-TV reports:
The two men were last seen at Larry's Bar in Sissonville about 3 a.m. Sunday. According to the release, the two said they were going four-wheeling in Shain's Ford Bronco. No one knows where they planned to ride, or in which direction they left.
Gandee, a garbage man, was arguably the main character of Buckwild, a program seen by many as MTV's successor to Jersey Shore but set in the countryside of West Virginia. The show, like that other breakthrough reality show on MTV, portrayed Gandee and his group of friends as drinkers and part-time daredevils who would frequently go off-roading ("mudding") — the show had "don't try this at home" warnings. Many didn't like that "train wreck" element to the show, including West Virginia Senator Joe Manchin, who called the program offensive.
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Gandee's death, unfortunately, is not the only unfortunate story we've heard from the Buckwild cast. In February, fellow cast member Salwa Amin was caught with oxycodone and heroin and charged with possession and intent to deliver.
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Another cast member, Tyler Boulet, has tweeted another confirmation of the death of his friend:
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