The remains of Wild 94.9FM radio host Jeffrey “JV” Vandergrift, who was first reported missing on February 23, were found floating in the Bay on Wednesday near Pier 39, as the SF Medical Examiner has confirmed.
Nearly a month to the day that JV was reported missing to the SFPD, a body was discovered in the Bay. As KRON4 reports, the Medical Examiner's Office informed Vandergrift's family and his wife and cohost Natasha Yi about the positive ID.
As of early Thursday, we knew of the report about a body found in the Bay, but not about the identification.
About a week after the missing persons report, Yi made a public statement saying that "personal information has recently been discovered that leads us to believe JV will not be coming back." That implied evidence of a likely suicide or suicide note, though that was never confirmed.
"I tell you this with incredible pain and sadness in my heart. My heart is utterly broken," Yi said at the time.
The body was pulled from the water around 5 p.m. Wednesday, as the Chronicle reports. "At this time, we have no evidence of foul play," said the SFPD's Sgt. Adam Lobsinger, in a statement.
A cause of death has not been determined.
Vandergrift suffered from Lyme Disease, and as KRON4 notes he spoke candidly with a listener about its effects. "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," Vandergrift said. He had hosted his radio program, "The JV Show," earlier on the day that he disappeared, and that is when he made these comments.
"The latest thing is, they are saying we could try these experimental medications or we can also recommend, many people are doing surgery in the brain to clear up a path for blood flow to get through these vessels, but it's very risky, very experimental," he said on February 23, on air. Later that day, he would last be seen near his home on the 200 block of King Street.
Vandergrift, 55, had been a fixture on Bay Area radio since the 1990s, hosting "The JV Show" from 6 a.m. to 10 a.m. every day since 2009. It was said to be the #1 morning radio show in the Bay Area.
Prior to that he hosted a show called "The Dog House."
He was a native of Fremont. More complete obituaries are likely to arrive soon.
If you are in crisis, text "BAY" to 741741 for free, 24/7, confidential crisis support from Crisis Text Line. And if you or someone you know is having suicidal thoughts, you or they should call the San Francisco Suicide Prevention crisis line at 415-781-0500.
If someone you know exhibits warning signs of suicide: do not leave the person alone; remove any firearms, alcohol, drugs or sharp objects that could be used in a suicide attempt; and call the U.S. National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 800-273-TALK (8255) or take the person to an emergency room or seek help from a medical or mental health professional.