PADUCAH, KY—San Francisco radio host Ray Taliaferro’s body was found in Paducah, Kentucky on Monday, December 3. The Paducah Police Department released an official statement at 8:18 a.m. stating that they located and identified a body that was found as Taliaferro, which was discovered at 2:21 p.m. on Sunday, December 2. Taliaferro was 79 years-old.
In the statement, the police said that the body was discovered at 2:21 on Sunday, December 2nd. According to reports, two teenage boys discovered the body in a wooded area off of S. 25th Street and Brooks Stadium Drive.
Taliaferro was first reported missing on November 10 and was last seen in the morning at the pizza parlor restaurant “Mellow Mushroom” talking to the manager. His car was discovered later in the day in a parking lot. A missing person’s flier indicated that Taliaferro could be suffering from dementia, and unaware of his surroundings.
Taliaferro was an esteemed radio host of KGO-810 and a liberal commentator. He was the first African-American talk show host on a major radio station in the country.
Raphael Taliaferro, Ray’s son, in an interview with WPSD Local stated that his father’s friends witnessed early signs of dementia, but no one suggested he get help.
“It is with great sadness that the Taliaferro family has to announce the passing of Ray Taliaferro. His body was found in Paducah, Kentucky in a wooded area approximately a mile from where he was last seen. The family appreciates the support and help we received in our search for Ray. This is a devastating ending to our search for him over these past weeks. The family is in the process of working with the police to learn the matters surrounding his death. At this time, we are processing this turn of events and ask for privacy as we work through our loss,” said Raphael Taliaferro in a statement.
An official autopsy is pending. The FBI is assisting the Paducah Police Department with the investigation as the case crosses state lines.
The Paducah Police Department indicated in a statement on their Facebook page on December 4 that “Preliminary autopsy results confirm Paducah police detectives’ initial findings that foul play is not indicated in the death of Ray Taliaferro.
An autopsy was conducted today at the Regional Crime Lab in Madisonville. A report has not been finalized, but exposure to the elements may have been a factor in the California man’s death.”
