Julian Sands' Final Cause of Death 'Undetermined' After Fatal Hike
Julian Sands' cause of death has been deemed "undetermined" by the San Bernardino County Sheriff-Coroner Department, ET can confirm.
Maria Rodriguez, a spokesperson for the Sheriff-Coroner Department in San Bernardino County, California, says the agency came to the determination just days ago, concluding that the cause of death is "undetermined" due to the condition of the body and because no other factors were discovered during the coroner's investigation.
The department says this is common when dealing with cases of this type, adding this is the final determination.
The British actor went missing in the Mount Baldy area back in January after he went on a hike. Human remains were discovered in late June, and Sands was positively identified shortly after. Officials recently announced that hikers discovered the human remains in the same mountain area where Sands went missing.
Sands was reported missing on the night of Jan. 13 after trekking Mount Baldy, a popular hiking area located in the San Gabriel Mountains, about 50 miles northeast of downtown Los Angeles. Born and raised in England, Sands had been living in the North Hollywood area of L.A. at the time of his disappearance.
After reports surfaced he'd gone missing, Sands' family released a statement thanking those taking part in the rescue efforts.
"Our heartfelt thanks to the compassionate members of the San Bernardino County Sheriff's Department who are coordinating the search for our beloved Julian," the statement read, "not least the heroic search teams listed below who are braving difficult conditions on the ground and in the air to bring Julian home."
Two days after Sands went missing, a mother of four died after sliding more than 500 feet down Mt. Baldy. Later that same month, a 75-year-old man was found and rescued after going missing on Mt. Baldy for two days.
Just weeks after Sands went missing, the actor's brother, Nick, told the U.K.-based newspaper Craven Herald & Pioneer, that the family had already resigned to the idea that Sands had died.
"He has not yet been declared missing, presumed dead, but I know in my heart that he has gone," Nick said. "However sibling rivalry being what it is, it would be just like him to walk out of there and prove me wrong."
Sands' career spanned five decades with the actor boasting dozens of film and television credits, including A Room With a View, Leaving Las Vegas, The Killing Fields, Ocean's Thirteen, and 24.
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