Julian Sands cops confirm body found in mountains is missing Brit actor more than five months after he vanished on hike
HUMAN remains discovered by hikers in the US are those of missing Brit actor Julian Sands, police have confirmed.
The A Room With A View star 65, went missing on January 13 while hiking in the Baldy Bowl area of California’s San Gabriel peaks.
His disappearance sparked a massive search with helicopters and drones combing the area but only his snow-covered Volvo car was recovered near Mount Baldy.
The remains were discovered in the wilderness on Saturday morning, local police said in a statement.
Coroners in the US have now confirmed they are those of Julian but a cause of death is yet to be established.
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.
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"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."
Following the tragic news, Corrie star Michael Warburton paid tribute to Julian on Twitter, sharing a picture of him captioned: "RIP Julian Sands (1958-2023)."
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Julian's breakout role came in the period drama A Room With A View, in which he starred opposite Helena Bonham Carter.
He later moved to the horror genre, featuring in films such as Warlock and Arachnophobia.
Most recently he played the chief medical officer in the 2021 Jack Lowden and Peter Capaldi-led drama Benediction.
From 1984 to 1987 Sands was married to future Evening Standard and Today editor Sarah Sands, with whom he has a son.
He went on to marry Evgenia Citkowitz, who is also a journalist.
The couple share two daughters.
SEARCH FOR JULIAN
A timeline of the search for Julian Sands
Friday January 13 - Sands is first reported missing to San Bernardino County Sheriff's Department.
Neither the report nor the actor's name are made public immediately, but it states his disappearance was in the Baldy Bowl area.
A search-and-rescue operation is launched and the last recorded ping is detected from Sands' phone.
Saturday January 14 - Search efforts are halted due to risk from avalanches and adverse weather on local trails results in ground crews being pulled off the mountain in the evening.
Sunday January 15 - Aerial searches, conducted by drones and helicopters, continue but nothing is found.
Wednesday January 18 - A car believed to belong to Sands is found and towed away from a location by his family.
Thursday January 19 - Weather conditions and avalanche risk continue to delay ground searches, although the sheriff's department says there is "no hard deadline" to call off the search.
Friday January 20 - Federal and state authorities join the search for Sands using mobile phone forensics to help pinpoint the location of the actor.
One week on from his disappearance, the sheriff's department says there is still "no time set" for when ground searches can continue.
Monday January 23 - The actor's family releases a statement praising the "heroic" efforts of both local and out-of-county forces conducting the search efforts.
Sands' family say they were "deeply touched" by the support they had received in the days since his disappearance.
The sheriff's office also announces it is looking for a second missing hiker and that searches have allowed ground teams to conduct "secondary" sweeps of the area, but no evidence of the actor is found.
Tuesday January 24 - The second hiker is found alive, but there is still no sign of Sands.
Wednesday January 25 - Searches continue by air only, with authorities using special technology that can detect electronic devices and credit cards.
San Bernardino County Sheriff's Department says it was "hopeful" that the technology will be able to more accurately pinpoint an area on which to focus efforts.
Saturday January 28 - Kevin Ryan, Sands' hiking partner and close friend says he is "remaining hopeful" of the actor's safe return, as searches pass the two-week mark.
Ryan tells PA it is obvious that "something has gone wrong" but that the actor's advanced experience and skill may allow him to overcome difficulty.
Friday February 3 - The sheriff's department said conditions continued to be problematic after three weeks of searching, adding efforts have continued "intermittently".
A spokesperson tells PA that efforts would normally be downgraded to a "passive search" after 10 days, but that plans have been extended due to the ongoing bad weather.
Friday February 10 - Four weeks on from the first reports of Sands' disappearance, authorities admit the outcome of the search "may not be what we would like".
The sheriff's department says it is still "hopeful" of finding the actor, but that conditions in the area remain dangerous, adding that ground searches are planned for the future.
Monday February 13 - Exactly one month since Sands has been reported missing, weather conditions still hamper efforts to find him.
Friday March 3 - Authorities temporarily close tourist resorts in the Mount Baldy area due to danger of avalanches.
Snow storms batter the southern Californian region causing search efforts by both ground and air to be halted yet again.
The majority of operations are suspended for the proceeding months with the sheriff's department unable to provide any further updates.
Monday June 19 -The San Bernardino County Sheriff's Department reports that a further ground search in the Mount Baldy wilderness has not yielded any results.
The search, which took place on Saturday June 17, included more than 80 search-and-rescue volunteers, deputies, and staff, with efforts supported by two helicopters and drone crews.
"Despite the recent warmer weather, portions of the mountain remain inaccessible due to extreme alpine conditions," the department said.
"Multiple areas include steep terrain and ravines, which still have 10-plus feet of ice and snow."
Wednesday June 21 -Sands' family releases a second statement via the sheriff's department, saying they are continuing to keep the actor "in our hearts with bright memories", as searches continue.
"We are deeply grateful to the search teams and coordinators who have worked tirelessly to find Julian," the statement reads.
"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."
Saturday June 24 - Human remains are found in the Mount Baldy wilderness.
The San Bernardino County Sheriff's Department says civilian hikers had contacted authorities on Saturday morning after finding the remains in area. The remains are transported to the Coroner's Office for identification.
Tuesday June 27 - The sheriff's department announces the remains found are those are of Sands.