British actor Julian Sands.
British actor Julian Sands. Image Credit: AFP

The cause of death for British actor Julian Sands, whose remains were found in the mountains of Southern California a month ago, has been cited as "undetermined".

A spokesperson for the San Bernardino County Sheriff's Department in a statement said: "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… This is the final determination."

The 'A Room With a View' actor, 65, was reported missing by his family on January 13 after he went hiking in the Mount Baldy wilderness. The actor, a resident of North Hollywood, had been reported missing around 7.30 p.m. in the Baldy Bowl area of California.s San Gabriel peaks, the sun.co.uk reported.

Last month, hikers found human remains in the San Gabriel Mountains which were determined to be those of Sands. Now coroners have revealed that the reason he died is unlikely to be determined due to the condition of Sands' body. The remains were found five months after the British actor disappeared.

The remains were found five months after the British actor disappeared.

Sands' disappearance had sparked a massive search with helicopters and drones combing the area, but only his snow-covered Volvo car was recovered near Mount Baldy. Weather conditions had hindered search efforts in the weeks following his disappearance, but officials announced a renewed effort to locate Sands in June.

Officials said at the time that over 80 search and rescue volunteers, deputies and staff participated in the search efforts, supported by two helicopters and drone crews as volunteers searched in “remote areas across Mount Baldy.

Sands loved hiking, according to his family. The late actor is best known for his work in shows like '24' and movies like 'A Room with a View' and 'The Killing Fields'.