In 2006, This Child Actor Known For His Starring Role In The “Beethoven” Films Mysteriously Vanished, And His Family Believes That Foul Play Was Involved
Starting at the ripe age of just four years old, child actor Joe Pichler made his debut in the entertainment industry.
His career began with appearances in TV commercials. Then, as Joe gained a solid reputation, he started to land larger roles– including Varsity Blues (1999), Shiloh 2: Shiloh Season (1999), Children On Their Birthdays (2002), and the Beethoven films.
In early 2006, though, Joe’s career came to a screeching halt after the eighteen-year-old vanished without a trace.
It all began on January 5, when the actor attended a party with friends. Joe drank that evening, and things took a turn after he made an “inconsolable” call to a friend, reportedly named Justin, on his cell phone at about 4:15 a.m.
Justin allegedly told Joe to call back once he had calmed himself down, and the child actor supposedly promised to do so. However, Joe never made another call and has actually never been heard from again since.
Leading up to that night, the child actor had been known as a straight shooter with clear plans for his future.
“I’ve said no to [intimacy] and drugs. I don’t want to get typecast. I’d much rather do movies [than TV]. I like the whole atmosphere of changing characters and meeting new people,” Joe described his ideal roles in a 2001 interview with the Kitsap Sun.
He predominantly lived in Los Angeles during his early teen years in order to support his acting goals. But, prior to his disappearance, Joe returned to Bremerton, Washington– his hometown– to finish up high school.
The National Center For Missing & Exploited Children; pictured above is Joe around the time of his disappearance
It was at that point that the Pichler family saw the eighteen-year-old during his day-to-day and claimed that he was upbeat and seemed mentally well– despite the distraught call on the evening of his disappearance.
Four days afterward, on January 9, Joe’s car– a silver Toyota Corolla– was discovered parked beside an inlet known as Port Washington Narrows. This was not far from Bremerton.
Investigators then found a jumbled note within the car. It was two pages long and included poetry, disjointed thoughts, and an apology from Joe for not being “a strong brother” to his siblings. Joe also outlined how he wanted his younger brother, Matthew, to take some belongings.
This note led police to believe that Joe had taken his own life. The Pichler family, however, was not convinced and thought the note was not enough evidence. Moreover, Joe’s mother, Kathy, tore down investigators’ supposed lack of effort in the press.
“They haven’t fingerprinted his car. They sifted through it. They were in his apartment for about three minutes. They’ve done nothing,” she said in an interview with the Seattle-Post Intelligence.
It also later came out that Joe’s apartment door had been unlocked, and the lights inside were left on– which was unusual for the teen. Plus, the note never said “goodbye”– a fact that still haunts Kathy.
At the time, investigators did speak with the Kitsap Sun and detailed how they did not believe foul play was the cause. Still, they claimed: “We’re considering a wide variety of scenarios. We’re not making any assumptions.”
Even after continuing to monitor Joe’s social security records, bank accounts, driver’s license, and MySpace page for years, no activity ever occurred. So, three main theories regarding the teen’s disappearance remain– runaway, foul play, and suicide.
As the investigation went on, though, police began to heavily doubt foul play was involved based on interviews.
“I have not found one person that has said anything bad about Joe,” Robbie Davis, a Bremerton Detective, told The Seattle Times.
Instead, according to the Pichler family, the police believe Joe likely took his own life. The teen is believed to have parked his car, walked to the nearby bridge, and jumped off into the water.
The Pichlers claim the police said Joe’s body would show up in the water within just a few months, though, and his remains were never found. Moreover, tracking dogs never detected Joe’s scent near the bridge.
The National Center For Missing & Exploited Children; pictured above is an age-progressed photo of Joe picturing what he most likely looked like at 23-years-old
So, to this day, Joe has remained classified as an “endangered missing person.” And, of course, this has been devastating for the Pitchler family.
Joe’s mother, Kathy, joined The Surviving Parents Coalition– a forum that gives grieving loved ones a place to receive support. And there, she described how her son’s case was “handled so poorly by police, and most of the evidence was lost.”
“Joseph is not a runaway; that’s the only thing I know for sure about his disappearance. We still have no resolution,” Kathy said.
Other forums on the internet have echoed these sentiments, too. One older website, entitled Hope For Joe, was created by a woman named Diana– who heard about Joe’s case and decided to do some digging.
Then, on March 5, 2009, Diana told a very different story than what was repeated in most news outlets across the country. She alleges that Joe’s silver Toyota Corolla was found with vomit on the passenger side floor and “Magic The Gathering” cards “strung out all over the car”– with the most valuable cards missing.
Additionally, Diana claims Joe’s apartment was discovered robbed and rummaged through– with the remaining “Magic The Gathering” cards strewn about. According to Diana, though, the Pichler family reported this information to the police, yet it was never included in the police report.
Diana went on to detail Joe’s friend group– reportedly consisting of other teens named Cammie, Jesse, Justin, Kelly, and Kyle– and ultimately indicated that these teens played a role in Joe’s death.
It is important to note that Diana’s sources in gathering this information were never included, so the credibility of her claims is inconclusive.
Nonetheless, it sadly appears that both Joe’s own family, as well as many of his fans, believe that something much more sinister happened to the young actor.
If you have any information related to Joe’s disappearance, you can contact the Bremerton Police Department at 1.360.308.5400.
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