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Travis Joel Peterson Dead: Los Angeles Music Video Director Found Dead In His Car After Going Missing In December

By Nathan Francis
Published on: 11:45 PST, Jan 7, 2017

Travis Joel Peterson has been found dead, with officials in Los Angeles saying the 40-year-old music video director was found deceased in his car after being missing for more than a week.

Peterson, who had a growing reputation as a music director for Los Angeles-area bands, had been missing after last speaking with his wife just before New Year’s Eve. There had been a search across Los Angeles over the past week, one that drew in many of the music acts who had worked with Peterson.

The search came to a tragic end this weekend with Peterson being found dead, though the exact cause of his death has not yet been reported.

The Los Angeles County Department of Medical Examiner-Coroner identified Peterson’s body on Saturday, one day after police were called to the 900 block of Foothill Boulevard for a report of a deceased man inside of a car, ABC 7 reported.

Trina Schrader of the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department noted that there were no signs of foul play in the music video director’s death. Travis Joel Peterson had been missing since December 29, prompting a search of the Angeles National Forest.

As LA Weekly reported, Peterson last made contact with his wife, Emilie Halpern, on December 29, and he was last seen the following day at a gas station on the 1500 block of Foothill Blvd. in La Cañada Flintridge.

LAist reported that the search was centered around an area where Peterson was known to go to drive.

“Halpern believed that Peterson may have taken a drive on the Angeles Crest Highway at some point, as he’s been known to do that on occasion. She told LA Weekly that, on January 3, the LAPD sent a helicopter to roam an area of the highway to search for any signs of Peterson.”

There were still many details missing in the death of Travis Joel Peterson. While police said they did not suspect foul play in his death, there was not yet word on exactly how he died or how the car was found.

Peterson’s disappearance had been a major story in Los Angeles, with many sharing details of his disappearance including details of the car he had last been seen driving. Halpern posted a LAPD notice of his disappearance on social media and told LA Weekly that she had a large response from people in the community offering to help.

“I’ve had so many friends reach out, it’s incredible,” she said. “The whole community has come together to try to help me. I have two different cars in the mountains, of friends driving around to find him.”

Many musicians who worked with Peterson also shared information about his disappearance on social media, with many getting an outpouring of help and support from fans.

Travis Joel Peterson was considered the “go-to director” for bands in the Los Angeles independent music scene, LA Weekly reported. He was known for his work with artists including Glass Candy, Nite Jewel, Ariel Pink, Nedelle Torrisi, Julia Holter, and Seth Bogart.

After word of Peterson’s death hit the internet, many fans and Los Angeles artists took to social media to share their condolences.

Travis Joel Peterson was the father of a 5-year-old son.

[Featured Image by artolympic/iStock]

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