Former Bachelorette contestant Clint Arlis’ death is “under investigation,” the Batavia Police Department announced in a press release on Friday, January 14. 

“It was confirmed that Clinton K. Arlis, 34, of Batavia was deceased,” the police shared in a statement obtained by Life & Style amid the tragic news. “The matter is currently under investigation by the Batavia Police Department and the Kane County Coroner’s Office, however, no foul play is suspected.” 

Bachelor Nation fans have been grieving the loss of the former cast member after his sister, Taylor, broke the news about Arlis, who competed for Kaitlyn Bristowe’s season of the ABC dating show back in 2015.

“It is with great sadness, to tell you that my family has lost my best friend and older brother Clint on the morning of January 11th,” she wrote in a heartfelt Facebook post. “Please respect our family’s privacy as we try to cope with this great loss.”

A family friend who coached wrestling at Arlis’ high school also announced news of the former reality star’s passing and praised him for being a fierce competitor. 

 “It is with a heavy heart and a sense of profound loss that we announce the death of one of the Batavia Wrestling Program’s All-Time greats, 2005 graduate, Clint Arlis,” Scott Bayer wrote on Wednesday, January 12. “Clint was the beloved son of Coach Tom Arlis and his wife, Jamie, protective, loving older brother of his sister, Taylor, and the boyhood idol and best friend of his kid brother, Coach Logan Arlis.” 

In addition to his Bachelorette stint, Arlis was also known for saying the phrase “villains gotta vill,” which he and pal JJ Lane came up with on the show.  

Bristowe, for her part, was shocked to learn that her former love interest had died. 

“This is an Instagram Story I did not think I’d be doing tonight,” she said in a video message on January 14. “Clint, who was on my season of The Bachelorette, I’m gonna say tragically, he’s tragically passed. 34 years old. I’m not sure what happened, how it happened. Even though things didn’t end on the best terms for us, from his time on the show to today, I have heard nothing but incredible things about that person. From his peers, his students, his coaches, his teachers, his friends, his family, Clint was very well-respected in his world.”