It's been more than 20 years since a child actor mysteriously vanished – and his whereabouts remain unknown to this day. Born in February 1987, in Bremerton, Washington, Joseph Pichler was the fourth of five children. At just four-years-old, Joe's family relocated to Los Angeles where he pursued a career in acting. His first professional acting role came when he was six, when he appeared in a commercial for the Seattle department store Bon Marche.

Joe's early success in Hollywood began to flourish in 1996 when he landed a role in his first film, The Fan. The same year, he made appearances in TV shows In The House and Lois & Clark: The New Adventures of Superman. Work came quickly for the young actor. In 1997, he appeared in the television film Prison of Secrets and an episode of The Gun. He also expanded into voice acting, lending his talents to The Land Before Time: Sing Along Songs.

His success continued the following year when he landed his first major role as Alex Craig in an episode of the hit CBS series Touched by an Angel.

Joe's profile grew further when he was cast in the coming-of-age sports drama Varsity Blues as Kyle Moxon, the younger brother of James Van Der Beek's character, Jonathan "Mox" Moxon.

By the age of 12, it was clear Joe was on the path to Hollywood stardom. That promise was further highlighted in 2000 when he starred as Brennan Newton in Beethoven's 3rd, a role he reprised the following year in Beethoven's 4th.

Despite his growing success, Joe's family later admitted they had concerns about the pressures of child stardom.

After Joe starred in The Nightmare Room and Children on Their Birthdays in 2002, the family decided to move back to Washington to give him "some normalcy".

"I just wanted him to have some normalcy in his life," his mother, Kathy Pichler, told the Kitsap Sun. "He's a good boy and took it well, but he wasn't really happy about it. We always kept him really grounded."

After enrolling at Bremerton High School, Joe planned to return to acting after graduating in 2005. He reportedly hoped to do so after having his braces removed, allowing him to spend an extra year living in his hometown.

After turning 18, Joe was able to access the money he earned from his early roles and moved out of his family home. Despite moving, Joe maintained a close relationship with his family and spent more time with his friends.

Joe was with his friends on January 4, 2006, and made his final known phone call in the early hours of the following morning to a friend he had seen the previous night. Although he said he would call back later, he never did.

Four days later, Joe's Toyota Corolla was found parked at an intersection near his home. According to the Associated Press, investigators discovered a note in the vehicle in which Joe wrote that he wished he had been a "stronger brother" and asked for some of his personal belongings to be given to his younger brother.

At the time, investigators said: "There’s a good indication that it might have been a suicide."

However, members of the Pichler family said they had seen no signs that Joe had been struggling with his mental health.

It appeared the family were convinced that Joe wanted to "start over", as his brother Matthew told The Mirror: "He left that note saying that he wanted to start over."

Joe's sister, Shawna, added: "In the worst-case scenario, if anything, it’s foul play. But not suicide... He left that note saying that he wanted to start over."

In 2011, Kathy opened up about her son's disappearance, claiming the investigation was handled "so poorly by police".

Writing for the Surviving Parents Coalition, she said: "Joseph is not a runaway; that's the only thing I know for sure about his disappearance. After nearly six years, we still have no resolution. Since Joseph's disappearance, my focus has been to help raise awareness of our nation's epidemic. I also struggle to get through each day without answers as to the whereabouts of my missing son.

"Our system is so very broken, in so many ways. Through education and prevention, there is hope. I keep looking for purpose in my son's disappearance. The only way I've found anything positive about my loss is when I help others live this nightmare. I do understand the suffering of other parents. Now I try to work for a better future so that others aren't forced to wear these shoes."

To this day, Joe's whereabouts is still unknown and he remains classified as a missing person.