Body of Jeffrey ‘JV’ Vandergrift, popular San Francisco radio host, found
SAN FRANCISCO, Calif. (KION-TV) UPDATE ON MARCH 23, 2023, AT 10:43 AM: A body found at Pier 39 in San Francisco late Wednesday has been identified by the medical examiner as popular radio host Jeffrey Vandergrift, 55.
He was known to his fans at Wild 94.9 as "JV" and was the host of his own radio show, called The JV Show.
He built a powerhouse morning show and shared with his audience his personal health struggles dating back to 2021. He was eventually diagnosed with Lyme disease.
He had spoken publicly about the effects the disease has had on his body, suffering continued ailments like "brain fog," dizziness, migraines and blurred vision.
He was last seen on Feb. 23 at his home in San Francisco, prompting a region-wide search for him.
Earlier this month, his wife, Natashi Yi, told the public she did not believe her husband was coming back.
She also thanked listeners for their love and support.
"I want to let you know that personal information has recently been discovered that leads us to believe JV will not be coming back," said Yi in a statement shared by Wild 94.9. at the time. "I tell you this with incredible pain and sadness in my heart."
News of his death spread quickly on the internet and by word of mouth.
"His is a huge loss to the Bay," Marylou Parnala wrote on Facebook. "We all grew up listening to JV. I’ll never forget the hilarious prank call he did on my BD years ago."
How he died was not immediately revealed. But Vandergrift had spoken publicly about dealing with ideations of self-harm in the past, especially when discussing how he was dealing with Lyme disease.
"How sad," Chelsea Ferreira wrote. "Grateful his family gets closure but my goodness. What a tragedy. Anyone reading this, you're not alone. I know life can be hard but please don't lose hope and reach out to those around you."
UPDATE ON MARCH 8, 2023, AT 3:00 PM: Wild 94.9 has released a statement to honor a Bay Area icon that has been with listeners for over 30 years.
Jeffrey Vandergrift, better known as simply JV, has been a host with Wild 94.9 for decades. He was reported missing in Feb. and police have not given updates on his whereabouts.
JVs wife Natasha Yi gave a statement last week saying, "personal information has recently been discovered that leads us to believe that JV will not be coming back."
JV has also been incredibly candid about the highs and lows of his own life. He shared his life journey with his audience in hopes that someone else could gain some knowledge or empathy or feel supported. His transparency has inspired many to call into the show, write letters of support and share his stories on social media.
Thanks for the laughs. Thanks for the love. Thank you, JV!
Wild 94.9
To read the full statement, click here.
Wife releases statement about missing Wild 94.9 host, does not believe he'll come back
The wife of Jeffrey Vandergrift, a well-known host of a San Francisco radio show who's been missing for days, said she does not believe her husband is coming back.
Vandergrift, known as JV to listeners of his Wild 94.9 morning show, "and I have always considered the 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," said his wife Natasha Yi in a statement shared by the radio station on Wednesday. Yi also appeared on the JV Show.
A message directly from Natasha, about JV: https://t.co/CUb6TIvaGt pic.twitter.com/ze51NBlZrR
— WiLD 94.9 (@Wild949) March 2, 2023
"I tell you this with incredible pain and sadness in my heart," she said.
She did not explain more about the "personal information" that led to her conclusion but added that the San Francisco police asked her to refrain from divulging details.
"I know how painful this is for you to hear," she wrote. "Please know that I have you in my thoughts."
The 54-year-old Vandergrift was last seen Thursday at his home in San Francisco on King Street. Police do not suspect foul play, his wife said.
On Monday, Wild 94.9 said there had been no trackable activity on his phone and no activity on his credit cards or bank accounts.
He had talked publicly about being diagnosed with Lyme disease in 2021 and suffering continued ailments like "brain fog," dizziness, migraines, and blurred vision.
"The amount of compassion for the physical torture that JV has been going through for the past two years has been overwhelming," his wife said about the support shown to Vandergrift.
Wild 94.9 host still missing in San Francisco, considered at-risk
UPDATE ON FEB. 27, 2023, AT 10:17 AM: San Francisco Police are still searching for a popular Bay Area DJ reported missing from his home on the 200 block of King Street Thursday.
Wild 94.9 released a statement Monday morning to update the public on the missing radio host.
An update about JV. Sending prayers to him, Natasha and their families right now as we wait to hear more 🙏 pic.twitter.com/YXLTs9KS2S
— WiLD 94.9 (@Wild949) February 27, 2023
ORIGINAL STORY
San Francisco police said a longtime Bay Area radio host has been missing since Thursday night.
Jeffrey Vandergrift was last seen at his home on the 200 block of King Street in San Francisco at around 10 p.m. He is considered "at-risk," according to police.
He is described as a 54-year-old white male, 6'0", 180 pounds, bald, and with brown eyes. He was last seen wearing black sweatpants.
Anyone with knowledge of his disappearance or if you have seen him is encouraged to call 911.
Anyone with information on his possible whereabouts can call the SFPD Tip Line at 1-415-575-4444 or Text a Tip to TIP411 and begin the text message with SFPD. You can remain anonymous.
