Matt Brown, who appeared in Discovery's Alaskan Bush People for the first eight seasons, died by suicide. He was 43. The Okanogan County Coroner's Office confirmed the cause of death after an autopsy, according to Deadline.
The coroner's report states Brown died from a "single penetrating gunshot wound to the head." Contributing circumstances listed in the report include immersion in water and the presence of methamphetamine in his system.
Brown's body was found May 31 in a river south of Oroville, Washington. His brother Noah Brown helped pull him from the water and made the identification.
His brother Bear Brown announced the death on TikTok on Saturday night. "They found a body in the river a few hours ago, and it was positively identified as being Matt," Bear said in the video. He described his long-standing worry over his brother's struggles. "I was so worried he was gonna end up OD'ed or something like that, I didn't think that he would hurt himself. It does look as though the injury is self-inflicted."
Bear also addressed his followers directly. "Please be respectful to my family and to my mom," he said. "And please, watch the comments that you leave, guys. Sometimes, words can hurt more than fists can."
The Okanogan County Sheriff's Office said it received a 911 call from someone reporting a man sitting in the shallow waters of the Okanogan River. The caller looked away, heard a sound, and then saw the man face down in the water. A firearm was recovered from the water where the man was last seen. A search had been suspended the previous Thursday due to severe weather.
Bear had previously spoken publicly about his brother's long battle with drugs and alcohol. Matt Brown appeared on Alaskan Bush People from 2014 to 2019.
If you or anyone you know is having thoughts of suicide, call or text 988 to reach the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline.
