Julian Sands: police confirm human remains found in San Gabriel mountains are those of missing British actor

Human remains found in the search for missing British actor Julian Sands have been confirmed to belong to the 65-year-old, the San Bernardino County Sherriff's Department has confirmed.

A keen hiker and mountaineer, Julian Sands was reported missing on January 13 after he failed to return from a hike in the Mount Baldy area. On Saturday morning (June 24) near San Gabriel in Southern California, human remains were discovered by hikers.

A statement released by the San Bernardino County Sheriff’s Department on Tuesday said: “The identification process for the body located on Mt. Baldy on June 24, 2023, has been completed and was positively identified as 65-year-old Julian Sands of North Hollywood.

“The manner of death is still under investigation, pending further test results. We would like to extend our gratitude to all the volunteers that worked tirelessly to try to locate Mr. Sands.”

The 65-year-old actor, born in Yorkshire, is known for his roles in films including A Room With A View, Arachnophobia, Leaving Las Vegas and Warlock, as well as TV appearances on 24, Smallville and Banshee. Earlier this week, his family released a statement saying they were continuing to keep him "in our hearts with bright memories".

The family statement said: “We are deeply grateful to the search teams and co-ordinators who have worked tirelessly to find Julian. We continue to hold Julian in our hearts with bright memories of him as a wonderful father, husband, explorer, lover of the natural world and the arts, and as an original and collaborative performer."