Julian Sands confirmed dead after remains of actor found in California mountains

LOS ANGELES — Julian Sands, best known for his acting in films such as ‘A Room with a View’ (1985), went missing in January this year whilst he was out on a hike in the San Gabriel Mountains in California

It has been confirmed the human remains found near the area Julian Sands disappeared more than five months ago were of the actor, reports mirror.co.uk.

The British actor went missing on January 13, shortly after his 65th birthday, whilst hiking in the San Gabriel Mountains in California, amid challenging conditions in the area.

There had been ground and air searches in the months since he was reported missing and a body was found over the weekend, though identification wasn’t provided then.

The Bernardino County Sheriff’s Department confirmed the latest tragic news in a statement on Tuesday.

It read: “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 locate Mr. Sands.”

Julian is survived by his wife Evgenia Citkowitz – whom he married in 1990 – and their two children, Natalya and Imogen, as well as by his son Henry from a previous marriage.

The late actor was from the UK but he is said to have moved to the US with his family in around 2020. He’s said to have settled in Los Angeles following his relocation stateside.

Julian – who starred in films like ‘Warlock’ (1989) and ‘Leaving Las Vegas’ (1995) – was reported missing in January this year, just days after his birthday.

He was said to have been an experienced mountaineer and he was believed to have gone missing whilst out on a hike in the Mount Baldy area of the San Gabriel Mountains.

It was reported that his car was found less than a week after he disappeared and police were said to have looked into cell phone data as part of their search efforts for him.

There are understood to have been numerous searches since his disappearance, though conditions in the area, such as the risk of avalanches, prevented some efforts.

Among those said to have searched for Julian were his three children, who reportedly joined the search team earlier this year after he was reported missing in California.

Police are understood to have continued to search for the missing actor more recently, such as having conducted a search in the Mount Baldy wilderness earlier this month.

Julian’s family issued a statement earlier this month, through law enforcement, in which they expressed gratitude towards the search teams and co-ordinators for their efforts.

They added: “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.”