Missing director found dead in La Canada Flintridge

ByABC7.com staff KABC logo
Saturday, January 7, 2017
An undated photo of 40-year-old Travis Joel Peterson, a local video director who went missing in La Canada Flintridge.
An undated photo of 40-year-old Travis Joel Peterson, a local video director who went missing in La Canada Flintridge.
KABC

LA CANADA FLINTRIDGE, Calif. (KABC) -- The Los Angeles County Department of Medical Examiner-Coroner on Saturday identified a 40-year-old man found dead in a car in La Canada Flintridge as missing director Travis Joel Peterson.

Authorities were called Friday to the 900 block of Foothill Boulevard, near Chevy Chase Drive, where a deceased man was found in a car at the scene, according to Trina Schrader of the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department.

Officials confirmed Saturday the man was Peterson.

Schrader said there were no obvious signs of foul play. Detectives and county coroner's officials were investigating the death.

Crews were scouring the Angeles National Forest for Peterson, a local music video director, who was last seen Dec. 29 at a 76 gas station along Foothill Boulevard at Alta Canyada Road in La Canada Flintridge.

His wife, Emilie Halpern, said she got a text message from Peterson that afternoon and knows he spoke with a psychologist but didn't hear from him since.

Peterson, a father to a 4-year-old son, worked with local L.A. artists like Ariel Pink and Vivian Girls.

City News Service contributed to this report.