Back in January, concerns grew for the well-being of veteran British actor Julian Sands when he was reported missing after going hiking in the Mt. Baldy area of the San Gabriel Mountains.
As time went on, the likelihood of Sands being found safe and sound rapidly diminished, and, unfortunately, the actor has now been confirmed dead after human remains discovered in the mountains were formally identified.
"The manner of death is still under investigation, pending further test results," said the San Bernardino County Sheriff's Department (via BBC.com). "We would like to extend our gratitude to all the volunteers that worked tirelessly to try to locate Mr Sands."
"We are deeply grateful to the search teams and coordinators who have worked tirelessly to find Julian," the actor's family said in a statement. "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."
Sands, 65, will likely be best known to CBM fans for his roles as Jor-El on The CW's Smallville and Dr. Gerald Crane on Gotham, but he appeared in numerous TV and film projects over the years, including Arachnophobia, 24, Warlock, and the Oscar-winning A Room With a View.
All our thoughts go out to Julian's family and friends during this very difficult time.