These Three Prominent ‘Swamp People’ Cast Members Met Tragic Ends

The folks featured on History Channel's Swamp People hunt and kill alligators for their pelts, along with other highly sought-after creatures.

And unfortunately, the series has seen a number of deaths as well. But were any of them due to the line of work these outdoor enthusiasts pursue?

Fans of the show are familiar with the Guist brothers, whose hunts were chronicled in the series. Sadly, Mitchell Guist purportedly died while out in the wilderness in 2012, The Hollywood Reporter writes. According to the outlet, Baton Rouge Sheriff Mike Waguespack gave further insight into the circumstances surrounding his passing to a local news affiliate.

Authorities state that Mitchell suffered what appeared to be a seizure, which caused him to fall off his boat. Although CPR attempts were made to revive Mitchell following his bout, they were ultimately unsuccessful.

Swamp People producers released a statement to The Hollywood Reporter about Guist's passing.

And the show's production team highlighted how the alligator hunter died pursuing what he loved to do best.

"We are extremely saddened to report that our friend and beloved member of the Swamp People family, Mitchell Guist, has passed away earlier today. Mitchell passed on the swamp, doing what he loved."

After Mitchell's passing in 2012, Glenn still appeared on episodes of the show, but Swamp People devotees noticed that in the past several years, he hasn't been featured in newer episodes. According to the Swamp People IMDB page, Glenn's last credit on the show was in Season 9's 17th episode, "Lockjaw."

Distractify previously reported on Glenn's disappearance from the show. 2021 reports indicate that Glenn is still very much living the bayou life, and that he was constructing "a houseboat near Pierre Part on the Belle River."

Audiences who regularly tuned into Swamp People noticed a glaring cast omission from the show's episodes: Junior Edwards. And tragically, Edwards's grandson, Willie Edwards, confirmed why his elder would no longer be featured in the popular reality TV series.

Willie confirmed in a Facebook post that on July 26, 2025, his grandfather succumbed to his battle with colon cancer. Junior Edwards was 61 years old and was a crucial part of the show's initial success. One of the founding cast members, he regularly appeared in episodes throughout the show's first six seasons.

In 2015, Junior left the show, and came back in 2021, with his grandson Willie in tow. At the time of his return, Junior addressed rumors that had circulated in the wake of his departure, particularly that monetary disputes is what precipitated in him leaving the show.

According to the senior gator hunter, that had nothing to do with why he left. Instead, it was because the production team decided to move in another direction with the show.

"I see a bunch of posts saying that a certain family was saying that we asked for more money and that's why we are not on the show anymore,” Junior penned on Facebook.

He added: "To clear up gossip and BS. We never asked for anything. Only communication we had with the production company was when we were told that we would not be on the show anymore. We have made our living off the bayou all our lives. We don't need a camera stuck in our faces to do that like some people."

Lamentably, the Edwards family would suffer another loss, Willie's brother and Junior's grandson, Randy. The Advocate reported that in 2018, the Swamp People star perished in a car crash on Highway LA 75 South after his vehicle slammed into a utility pole.

Reports indicated that Randy was driving while impaired. In a post made to the Junior and Willie Edwards Facebook account on Sept. 15, 2018, the Swamp People original cast member's passing was confirmed. "It is in deep sadness that I make this post. Junior and Theresa's son, Willie's brother, Randy, passed away in a vehicle accident early this morning. Randy was 35."