Ex-Child Actor Matthew Mindler Buys Sodium Nitrate on Amazon to Kill Himself
Former child actor Matthew Mindler has committed suicide by ingesting sodium nitrate, which he purchased on Amazon.
TMZ reported on Thursday that the Lancaster County Medical Examiner's Office ruled the 19-year-old former child actor's death from August to be suicide by sodium nitrate toxicity.
According to his mother and authorities, the 19-year-old former child actor searched online how to use sodium nitrate in suicide, Page Six reported.
Mindler's mother, Monica Mindler, told TMZ that his son's recent Internet search histories showed that he has been looking up information on how to obtain the toxic compound and how to take it to end life painlessly.
Sodium nitrate is an oxidizing agent, which is often used in food preservation, such as meat. When taken in high-dose, it can cause hypotension and limit oxygen flow in the body, resulting in death. There have been cases of accidental deaths due to sodium nitrate, but they are often accidental.
Mindler's mother also told TMZ that her son purchased the deadly substance on Amazon for $15 during his first days away from home at Millersville University in Pennsylvania.
According to Monica, her son has suffered from "crippling anxiety." She said the sodium nitrate volume that Matthew Mindler ordered on Amazon was enough to kill four people.
Monica hoped that his son's story would serve as a wake-up call. She said she was only talking about Mindler's story in the hopes it would warn other families of the dangers of the seemingly harmless substance and how easily children can get them.
Matthew Mindler Last Seen on University Security Camera
Matthew Mindler, best known for his role opposite Paul Rudd in the 2011 movie "Our Idiot Brother," was reported missing after he disappeared from his college campus in Pennsylvania in late August.
The Millersville University Police earlier said the former child actor was last spotted walking from the West Villages residence hall toward the Centennial Driver parking lot on August 24.
The security footage screenshot showed that Matthew Mindler was wearing a white Millersville University hooded sweatshirt, a black face mask, dark-colored jeans, and sneakers while carrying his black backpack.
The former child actor was reported missing the next day after he didn't return to his dormitory room, failed to return the phone calls from his family, and skipped his classes.
After a few days looking for him, Matthew Mindler was found dead by authorities in Manor Township near campus on August 28.
Matthew Mindler's Acting Career
According to the former child actor's IMDB page, he had at least eight acting credits in films and television shows listed under his name. It included the 2013 short "Frequency" directed by his older brother and cinematographer, Derek Mindler.
So far, Matthew Mindler's biggest role was in the comedy-drama "Our Idiot Brother." The movie follows Paul Rudd's character, an idealistic farmer who upends the lives of his three sisters, played by Elizabeth Banks, Emily Mortimer, and Zooey Deschanel.
Matthew Mindler portrayed the son of Emily Mortimer and Steve Coogan named River. The last acting stint of Mindler was in 2016, when he last appeared in the TV movie "Chad: An American Boy." His acting credits also include "As the World Turns, Last Week Tonight" with John Oliver.
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Written by: Jess Smith
WATCH: Actor Matthew Mindler Killed Himself With Sodium Nitrate Purchased From Amazon - From Stand Up