A San Francisco radio host who disappeared last month was found dead March 22, city officials announced Thursday.
The body of Jeffrey Vandergrift, 55, was discovered just before 5 p.m. Wednesday after San Francisco police responded to reports of a person in the water near Pier 39, People reported. “Officers and medics from the San Francisco Fire Department retrieved the person who was confirmed deceased at the scene. At this time, we have no evidence of foul play,” Public Information Officer Niccole Pacchetti told the outlet.
Jeffrey Vandergrift, a popular DJ for a San Francisco radio station, was found dead nearly a month after he went missing, officials say. https://t.co/yvrSN7VSJJ
— NBC News (@NBCNews) March 23, 2023
Vandergrift, a radio host for Wild 94.9, was last seen Feb. 23 and was considered by San Francisco police to be “at risk” after reportedly posting a message that began, “Thank you for a wonderful life, [filled] with joy, laughs, pain and struggle…”, according to ABC 7 News.
Investigators sought clues to Vandergrift’s whereabouts by tracing his electronic devices and funds, but after his disappearance Wild 94.9 announced there had been “no trackable activity” on his cell phone and credit cards. “These updates are obviously incredibly worrisome, though we continue to hope and pray for better news,” the radio station continued in a statement. (RELATED: Dave & Buster’s Co-Founder James Corley Dead In Apparent Suicide On His Birthday, Company Says)
Vandergrift had reportedly been struggling with ongoing health issues since 2021 after contracting Lyme disease, according to People. “The stuff I’ve been going through in my brain that they’re trying to figure out. Ugh,” he told listeners on the Feb. 23 broadcast of his show, the outlet reported.
“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 continued, adding that his doctor’s gave him options of “experimental medications” or “very risky” surgery to correct the issue.
After learning that Vandergrift’s body had been discovered, the radio station shared the news with their listeners, confirming the loss of the “dear friend, family member and colleague.”
“We are devastated to know now that JV is gone. Please keep his wife Natasha, his family, and close friends in your thoughts and prayers,” their statement continued.