Kevin Spencer, a worker at the Chicago NBC affiliate who went missing last week, has died from an apparent suicide, his family said.
Spencer, 34, was last seen on Jan. 24. His sister said she was informed he did not go to work on Jan. 27 at the TV station, where he worked in the IT department. Security footage showed him exiting the NBC Tower — where he left his work phone — and walking off. The building is located downtown near The Magnificent Mile.
“I believe they said that he didn’t even call in for work and to let them know that he was not going to be there. And that’s just not like my brother whatsoever,” Jennifer Brinkley, Spencer’s sister, told the station.
She added that she hadn’t spoken to him since Jan. 20 and that his electric scooter, his primary mode of transportation, was still at his home in the Lakeview neighborhood on the city’s north side.
No other details were released.
“Thank you all for your help and concern in trying to find Kevin,” the family said. “It is with a heavy heart that I share that he is no longer with us. While we don’t have all the answers, we ask for privacy and respect as we process this devastating loss. Please keep his loved ones in your thoughts during this difficult time.”
“We cover these stories all the time … this one hits a little closer to home,” Kevin Cross, president and general manager of NBCUniversal Local Chicago, said.
“We send out our deepest sympathies to Kevin’s family, friends and colleagues. He will always have a special place in our hearts.”