Former child star Matthew Mindler, 19, died by suicide, coroner says

Matthew Mindler, a former child actor, has died by suicide, a coroner's office in Pennsylvania said Tuesday. He was 19 years old.

Mindler was found dead Saturday after he was reported missing earlier in the week. The cause of death has not yet been disclosed but the manner was ruled a suicide by the Lancaster County Coroner’s Office, NBC News reported.

Daniel A. Wubah, Ph.D, president of Millersville University where Mindler was enrolled, released an official statement Saturday on Twitter addressed to the student body.

“It is with a grieving heart that I let you know of the death of 19-year-old Matthew Mindler from Hellertown, Pennsylvania, a first-year student at Millersville University,” the statement began. “Our thoughts of comfort and peace are with his friends and family during this time.”

The statement explained that Millersville University police and local law enforcement had been searching for Mindler since Thursday until he was found dead Saturday morning. He was transported by the coroner for further investigation to the Lancaster County Forensic Center.

“This is a time of grief for the family, our campus and the community,” Wubah said. “I ask that the campus community come together to support each other, and our students, during this difficult time.”

On Thursday, Millersville University’s Twitter account shared a missing notice for Mindler, revealing that he had been missing since the evening of Aug. 24 when he did not report back to his room or return any phone calls from his family.

He was last seen at 8:11 p.m. that day walking from his residence hall toward a parking lot area. He had attended classes on Monday and Tuesday, but did not show up to class on Wednesday.

The university police were able to file a missing adult report with the National Crime Information Center on Thursday and notify the local police departments less than 24 hours after the initial report was filed.

Mindler was best known for his role as River in the 2011 comedy “Our Idiot Brother.” He played the son of the characters Liz and Dylan, portrayed by Emily Mortimer and Steve Coogan, while starring alongside Paul Rudd, Zooey Deschanel and Elizabeth Banks.

He also held roles in an episode of the television series “As the World Turns” and two shorts, 2013’s “Frequency” and 2015’s “Solo.”

If you or someone you know is in crisis, call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 800-273-8255, text HOME to 741741 or visit SpeakingOfSuicide.com/resources for additional resources.