On Saturday, June 24, 2023, hikers discovered unidentified human remains in the Mount Baldy Wilderness Area in California, near where British actor Julian Sands went missing in January. The San Bernardino County Sheriff’s Department said in a statement that the remains were transported to the coroner’s office for identification next week.
Julian Sands, 65, was an English actor who rose to fame with his breakout role as George Emerson in A Room with a View (1985). He also appeared in films such as The Killing Fields (1984), Warlock (1989), Arachnophobia (1990), Naked Lunch (1991), Boxing Helena (1993), Leaving Las Vegas (1995), The Medallion (2003), Ocean’s Thirteen (2007), and The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo (2011). On television, he portrayed Vladimir Bierko in 24 (2006), Jor-El in Smallville (2009–2010), and voiced Valmont in Jackie Chan Adventures (2000–2002).
Sands was an avid hiker and mountaineer who often visited the San Gabriel Mountains northeast of Los Angeles. He was reported missing on January 13, 2023, after setting out on a solo hike on Mount Baldy, a peak that rises more than 10,000 feet above sea level. The region was hit by severe storms during winter, making the search and rescue efforts difficult and dangerous.
On Friday, June 23, 2023, his family released its first statement since his disappearance. “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,” the statement said. Sands was married to journalist Evgenia Citkowitz and had three adult children.
The discovery of the human remains has raised hopes that the mystery of Sands’ fate will be solved soon. However, the authorities have not confirmed whether the remains belong to Sands or not. The coroner’s office will conduct an autopsy and a DNA analysis to determine the identity and cause of death of the deceased person.
