Authorities have found the body of radio host, Jeffrey Vandergrift, floating in the water of a San Francisco Bay after a month long disappearance.
He was 55 at the time he went missing.
The radio host, popularly known as JV, was reported missing to the San Francisco Police Department on February 23.
Police in San Francisco confirmed Wednesday that they found his body in the water at Pier 39 just before 5pm.
‘With a heavy heart, we must confirm that the body found near Pier 39 on Wednesday afternoon has been identified as our dear friend, family member & colleague, JV,’ the medical examiner said in a statement.
‘We are devastated to know that JV is gone. Please keep his wife, Natasha, his family and close friends in your thoughts and prayers.’
The officers added that there was no evidence of foul play. Vandergrift first went missing after he told listeners about mysterious brain issues he was experiencing.
Vandergrift was reported missing February 23, hours making a cryptic Instagram post thanking his fans and followers for ‘a wonderful life-filled w joy, laughs, pain & struggle.’ He then changed his Twitter location to ‘the other side’ before disappearing.
His wife, a model, said last week they believe he ‘will not be coming back’ despite working with police to find him.
Vandergrift married model Yi in 2006 after three years of dating and later renewed their wedding vows in 2017.
Two weeks after he disappeared, the radio station he worked for posted a tribute to him.
In a post shared March 8 on social media, Wild 94.9 shared details about Vandergrift’s life while thanking him for 30 years of entertainment in the Bay Area.
‘Thanks for the laughs. Thanks for the love. Thank you, JV,’ the station wrote.
Vandergrift had started his show, The Dog House, at Hot 97.7 in San Jose before bringing it back to San Francisco at 107.7 – now known as Wild 94.9.
The show made Vandergrift a household name in the area. Behind the jokes, however, the station said Vandergrift was a champion for organizations and causes in need.
His coworkers thanked him for also being ‘candid about the highs and lows of his own life.’
According to a post made back in 2021, the radio DJ was diagnosed with Lyme disease. He took some time off to deal with the illness.
Vandergrift had told listeners about health issues he was facing just hours before he disappeared. He told listeners during his final show that doctors were looking into something that may have ‘reignited’ old infections.
‘The body and the pain and all that stuff, I can handle. What it’s doing to my brain I could never describe to you,’ he said Thursday morning.
Less than 24 hours later, Vandergrift was reported missing with the San Francisco Police Department after he was last seen at his home on King Street around 10pm.
Vandergrift said doctors had even recently offered him experimental medications or surgeries to address the issues.
‘The stuff I’ve been going through in my brain that they’re trying to figure out. Ugh,’ he told Wild 94.9 listeners.
