UPDATE: 5:45 PM EST
Photos obtained by TMZ show that Shain Gandee’s truck was submerged in mud up to the windows, leading investigators to believe that they did, indeed, die from carbon monoxide poisoning.
The photos seem to support the theory that the passengers died from carbon monoxide poisoning because the deadly fumes from the car could not escape through the tailpipe, which was completely submerged in the mud.
TMZ has learned … the bodies of all 3 victims have been recovered from the scene and have been transferred to the local medical examiner’s office where autopsies will be performed.
SOURCE: TMZ
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UPDATE: 4:15 PM EST
There is evidence that Shain Gandee may have died from carbon monoxide poisoning.
According to TMZ:
A rep for the Kanawha County Sheriff’s Office in West Virginia tells us, the bodies of Shain, his uncle David Gandee, and a third unidentified person are still inside the truck where they were originally found. Authorities have been unable to remove the bodies from the scene because of the truck’s location.
According to to the rep, Shain’s 1984 Bronco is stuck knee-deep in mud in the middle of nowhere … and the only way to reach it is via an all-terrain vehicle.
We’re told there is no cell reception in the area, which is why Shain and the others couldn’t be reached. We’re also told the bodies were originally discovered today by a passing ATV rider.
Police wouldn’t confirm or deny whether carbon monoxide poisoning played a role in the deaths — but sources connected with the investigation say it’s the likely scenario, especially if the exhaust pipe was submerged in mud.
Gandee’s “Buckwild” co-stars have also been tweeting about his untimely death.
SOURCE: TMZ | Twitter
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UPDATE: 2:30 PM EST
A spokesperson for MTV has released a statement regarding Shain Gandee’s death.
“We are shocked and saddened by the terrible news about Shain Gandee, and those involved in this tragic incident. We are waiting for more information but at this time, our main concern is for the Gandee family and their friends. 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.”
SOURCE: MTV
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UPDATE: 1:30 PM EST
MTV is reporting that one of the bodies found with Shain Gandee has been indentified.
Police have identified a second body inside the vehicle as David Gandee’s, while a third victim remains unidentified. According to local reports, officers with the sheriff’s department were using all-terrain vehicles to access the area where the vehicle was discovered, roughly a mile up a dirt road near Wolf Pen Drive in Sissonville. Details of the cause of death were not known at press time, though authorities say foul play was not suspected.
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We’re sad to report that MTV “Buckwild” star Shain Gandee is dead at the age of 21.
Gandee was found dead in a vehicle in West Virginia this morning, 31 hours after the reality star had been reported missing, this according to law enforcement.
TMZ reports:
According to officials, Gandee — along with 2 other bodies — were discovered in the vehicle in Sissonville, West Virginia.
As we previously reported … Shain was last heard from around 3 AM on Sunday morning, when he and his uncle David Gandee told people they planned to go 4-wheeling.
It’s unclear if David was one of the deceased people in the vehicle where Gandee’s body was discovered.
Story developing …
SOURCE: TMZ
