A popular radio host from San Francisco has been found dead almost a month after he went missing after sharing a concerning post on Instagram.
Jeffrey 'JV' Vandergrift, 54, host of The JV Show on radio station WiLD 94.9 - was last seen around 10:00 PM on February 23 at his home in San Francisco.
Friends and fans had become concerned after spotting that he had changed the caption on an Instagram post from August 2022 - the final one on his account.
It read: "Thank you for a wonderful life-filed w joy, laughs, pain & struggle. It’s been a great journey. Your support & prayers meant the world. Keep shinin’ love, compassion, understanding, truth, forgiveness, peace, and hope for others."
It has now been confirmed that Vandergrift's body was found by police in the San Francisco Bay at around 5:00 PM on Wednesday, according to reports by KRON4. No cause of death has been revealed as yet.
As well as changing the caption on his last Instagram post, Vandergrift reportedly told his listeners in his final show on WiLD 94.4 about struggles with "stuff" he'd been "going through in [his] brain."
The New York Post reports that he said on air: "The stuff I’ve been going through in my brain that they’re trying to figure out. Ugh.
"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."
According to the publication, Vandergrift had been diagnosed with Lyme disease in 2021 and often told his listeners about his struggles with dizziness, brain fog, and bouts of depression.
Vandergrift's wife and co-host Natasha Yi, 43, had shared a post about her husband's disappearance at the start of March, in which she told her followers that "personal information has recently been discovered that leads us to believe JV will not be coming back."
She wrote in a statement at the time: "Thank you to our friends and the entire i-HeartRadio family and listeners for your love, support and prayers. I can feel your love and energy for JV, and I am so grateful for it. The amount of compassion for the physical torture JV has been going through for the past 2 years has been overwhelming.
"I have been in so much pain and fear and I know all of you have been so scared and concerned for JV as well. JV and I have always considered this community part of our family, so I want to let you know that personal information has recently been discovered that leads us to believe JV will not be coming back. I tell you this with incredible pain and sadness in my heart."
Yi added: "At this time, JV officially remains missing according to the SFPD, but no foul play is suspected in his disappearance. We are incredibly appreciative for the SFPD’s ongoing efforts in locating JV and they have asked us to keep the details to immediate family only. I know how painful this is for you to hear – please know that I have you in my thoughts.
"Please forgive my silence during this time – my heart is utterly broken, and the pain feels unbearable. I will do my best to provide updates and I ask for you to please keep JV in your thoughts and prayers."
Our thoughts remain with Jeffrey Vandergrifts family and friends at this difficult time.
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