“He is no longer with us. R.I.P. to my dad. He was my best friend. I love him,” the rocker said of his father, Bill McGinley
Credit: thatsnathanjames/Instagram
NEED TO KNOW
- Nathan James revealed his father, Bill McGinley, was found dead after he went missing during a bike ride in Colorado
- “He is no longer with us. R.I.P. to my dad. He was my best friend. I love him,” the musician said in a July 31 video update
- The Boulder County Coroner’s Office said McGinley was found dead on a Coyote Run Open Space bike trail in Louisville
Musician Nathan James revealed his father, Bill McGinley, was found dead days after he never returned from a routine bike ride in Colorado.
On Friday, July 31, the independent metal artist, 36, shared the tragic news that the body of his 72-year-old father, who was previously a professor at Colorado State University, was discovered by authorities in Louisville.
“The police found him earlier this afternoon today and he is no longer with us,” he said in an Instagram video. “R.I.P. to my dad. He was my best friend. I love him. I have been an emotional roller coaster ride like none other that I’ve ever been through.”
“This has been the most mental mind f— thing ever of, ‘Your dad is missing,’ and then you find him, and you find him and then he’s no longer with us,” he added. “It’s a different level of f— with your head.”
After thanking all the people who helped him find his dad, James emphasized that he would “need some time to myself” to grieve the loss.
“Don’t forget to tell the people you love that you f— with them and you respect them and you wanna see them do well and you understand them and you’re there for them,” he continued in the Instagram video. “My dad has gone home upstairs, and I love you dad.”
Credit: thatsnathanjames/Instagram
The Louisville Police Department confirmed on Facebook that, while the investigation remains active, they are no longer asking for the public’s assistance in locating McGinley.
According to a release obtained by Colorado Hometown Weekly and the Boulder Daily Camera, the Boulder County Coroner’s Office said McGinley was found dead on a bike trail in the Coyote Run Open Space area on Thursday, July 30.
Never miss a story — sign up for PEOPLE’s free daily newsletter to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.
Previously, on Wednesday, July 29, James said his dad went missing after he never returned from a “normal bike ride” in Louisville, Colo., that morning.
“The cops have started an on-foot search & investigation,” James wrote on Instagram alongside several photos of him and his father. “The bike he was riding was a specialized, white gravel.”
“He was wearing a white helmet, white shoes, black tights and a blue cycling jersey,” he added. “He was riding on a 36th bike path, Davidson Mesa near Harper Lake and roads to take him back home to his house near Waneka Lake in Lafayette.”
Urging his followers at the time to come forward with any information surrounding his father’s whereabouts, James went on to describe his dad as his “best friend.”
Credit: thatsnathanjames/Instagram
“I talk to him on the phone 2-3 times a day, ever since I’ve had a phone,” he emphasized. “Please if you have the ability to look and are in the area, please help me find my dad. He means the world to me.”
Two days later, in the caption of his Instagram video update, James wrote, “thank you for everyone’s help & caring thoughts on spreading awareness to find my dad. My dad went home to heaven 🕊️.”
Read the full article here