The wife of missing San Francisco radio host Jeffrey Vandergrift said in an update Wednesday that new information has led her to believe her husband will not return.
“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,” Natasha Yi said in a statement on social media and the WiLD 94.9 website. “I tell you this with incredible pain and sadness in my heart.”
Vandergrift, 54, who hosted “The JV Show” with his wife, was last seen at his San Francisco home on Feb. 23, the San Francisco Police Department said in a news release on Friday. Police said Vandergrift was considered “at-risk.”
Yi noted that the SFPD still considers Vandergrift missing but that 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,” she wrote. “I know how painful this is for you to hear – please know that I have you in my thoughts.”
“My heart is utterly broken, and the pain feels unbearable,” Yi added.
The radio station noted at the end of the message on its website that “anyone who has listened to the show for the last year knows that JV has gone through an intense battle with Lyme disease.”
The radio host had spoken about his struggle with the disease, which is usually caused by a tick bite in humans and can result in severe symptoms, including intense headaches, rashes, joint pain, dizziness and fatigue.
In her statement, Yi thanked viewers for their overwhelming compassion for the “physical torture” her husband had experienced over the past two years.
It’s not clear if Vandergrift’s health issues are connected to his disappearance. San Francisco police are encouraging anyone with information that may help the search to call the SFPD tip line at 514-575-4444 or text to TIP411.