A local newspaper publisher has taken his own life to the shock of his large family and tight-knit community.

Vince Bodiford, 62, was found dead late on Monday afternoon in Lions Park, a reserve about a mile from his home in Cheyenne, Wyoming.

Laramie County Sheriff Brian Kozak confirmed his cause of death was suicide.

Bodiford was regional president of Adams Publishing Group, overseeing five newspapers across Wyoming owned by company.

He joined the company last October when APG bought the Cheyenne Post, which he started just after moving to Wyoming in April 2019.

Bodiford died just months after one of the papers described how there was no place he and his wife Jeanette, 59, would ‘rather put down anchor’.

The couple expressed their appreciation for the friendliness of the people, the strong sense of community, and the welcoming business environment in Laramie County. Since the beginning, they have felt at home in the area.

However, local reports of his death named him as the ‘former’ APG regional director, despite still appearing in the job on the company website.

Vince Bodiford, 62, (pictured with his wife Jeanette) found dead on Monday in Cheyenne, Wyoming

Bodiford was regional president of Adams Publishing Group, overseeing five newspapers across Wyoming owned by company

In a recent company newsletter, Bodiford was quoted as he announced promotions for two executives. Additionally, he last wrote an article about test-driving a Hyundai Tucson on January 23.

He called the Cheyenne Post his ‘sandbox’ to ‘experiment with a variety of different content-delivery concepts’ before it was sold.

The couple have two adult children and four grandchildren. 

On their anniversary in 2021, Jeanette shared a sentimental message expressing gratitude for past experiences and excitement for the future. She mentioned enjoying fast cars, their children, and various modes of travel, with anticipation for more adventures ahead.

One friend remembered him on social media, writing ‘Vince was the greatest person in the world.’ 

Bodiford’s media career began with a job at his local paper in Southern California aged 13, and sold his first ad to his high school yearbook at 16.

He kept selling ads for the first decade after graduating university, then started local papers in Texas, Colorado, and Nebraska until they were acquired by Gannett.

Other jobs included running 90 local TV stations across the US, and starting PR firm NewsMakers with offices in Michigan, Texas, and Wyoming.

Bodiford and his wife have two adult children and four grandchildren

Bodiford died just months after one of the papers described how there was no place he and his wife Jeanette, 59, would ‘rather put down anchor’

Bodiford also ran NewsNet, a news program running on local TV stations, at the same time as the Cheyenne Post, until it ended last August.

‘We get up every morning, work hard all day, have a lot of fun, do some good in the world, and start over tomorrow,’ he said of his job there.

The company was run by former Sports Illustrated owner Manoj Bhargava, who explained why NewsNet was shut down.

‘Simply put – more viewers are attracted to sensationalized, bias news. We believed people would want to watch a clean, non-bias news network, but we were wrong,’ he said at the time.

‘Without a large audience, we just couldn’t continue to lose money. We hired the best people and talent, and we appreciate their hard work and effort. But we just couldn’t continue.’ 

Bodiford’s manner of death was not released and his funeral details are not yet announced.

Call the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline, a 24-hour, toll-free, confidential suicide prevention hotline, if you are in suicidal crisis or emotional distress.