Julian Sands' Cause of Death Revealed 4 Weeks After His Body Was Found

Four weeks after the body of Julian Sands was found, the actor's cause of death has been revealed. According to CBS News, the coroner for the San Bernardino County Sheriff's Department has not been able to determine an official cause of death. "The cause is Undetermined due to the condition of the body and the fact that no other factors were discovered during the coroner's investigation, this is common when dealing with cases of this type," a spokesperson for the department stated. "This is the final determination."

Sands was a beloved actor known for roles in films such as Arachnophobia, Leaving Las Vegas, Ocean's Thirteen, and The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo. He also turned up in a number of TV shows, like 24, Dexter and Gotham. His final on-screen performance was in Seneca – On the Creation of Earthquakes, a historical dark dramedy film co-starring John Malkovich. An avid hiker, Sands went missing in January while hiking the Baldy Bowl Trail area of the San Gabriel Mountains.

In late June, hikers came across human remains in an area where Sands was believed to have been. Police officials ultimately determined that the remains belonged to the British actor.  "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 San Bernardino Sheriff's Department said in a statement. "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."

Just one day before Sands' remains were found, his family released a statement through the sheriff's department. "We are deeply grateful to the search teams and coordinators who have worked tirelessly to find Julian," they stated. "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."

Back in April, Sands' son Henry spoke with The Times (U.K.) about the extensive search for his father. "I am, of course, realistic about the impact on the search of the weather conditions over the last three months – it's been a 40-year snowfall record in California," he said. "I am hugely appreciative for all the efforts made so far from the volunteer search and rescue climbers and the San Bernardino County sheriff team to bring my father home."