Wayne Shannon, Former KRON Commentator, Found Dead In Idaho (VIDEO)

Beloved Local News Personality Found Dead

Wayne Shannon, a former commentator for KRON, was found dead in an Idaho field on April 28, officials said Monday. His body has most likely been there since last fall.

Shannon, who was known for his satiric and witty on-air essays, was found by turkey hunters near Grangeville in northern Idaho. It appeared that he took his own life, but the official cause of death is pending. Shannon had been living in Lewiston, Idaho. Family members had reported him missing in September.

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The body was discovered under a large pile of snow, which slowed the decomposition rate. A revolver was found under Shannon, however, an autopsy revealed no gunshot wounds. The coroner is not awaiting results from toxicology testing.

Shannon became popular with bay area viewers from 1982 to 1988 for his nightly “Just 4 You” segments on KRON-TV.

He then moved to CNBC in 1989 as one of the network’s originating commentators. Many of his commentaries, which frequently discussed local and global topics, were published in the 1986 essay collection What’s It All Mean, which took its title from the catch phrase Shannon used to end his segments.

Born Gerald Wayne Schetzl in Spokane Washington in 1948, Shannon lived in San Francisco as a child. He also starred in off-Broadway plays in New York and was a veteran of the Vietnam war. He began his career as a stand up comedian and often entertained the troops in Vietnam in the early 1970s.

Shannon was 64 years old. He is survived by five children.

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