Online records have uncovered that Sam Beal, the former New York Giants cornerback who vanished seven months ago, spent five months in a Michigan prison for unpaid child support payments just prior to his disappearance.
A Sister's Desperate Plea for Help
The 29-year-old's brief incarceration from September 2024 to February 2025 is the latest development in a baffling missing persons case, which has gained recent traction due to the relentless efforts of his sister, Essence Zhane. Zhane took to Facebook this week, writing: 'Tomorrow makes it 7 months since we've last heard from or seen my brother.' She added that the family has exhausted all its own avenues and is now 'in desperate need of support on all ends.'
The Disappearance and Disturbing Clues
According to his profile on the National Missing and Unidentified Persons System, Beal was last seen on July 12 after dropping his girlfriend at her home. He was supposed to take her car to work but never arrived. He later called her to say he was driving home to Virginia Beach.
The vehicle was eventually found in Virginia Beach, with Beal's shoes and socks left on the passenger seat. Police believe he departed with only the clothes he was wearing, a pair of sandals, and his wallet containing a bank card and driver's licence.
A Troubled Legal History and Concerning Behaviour
While it remains unclear if his legal troubles are connected to his disappearance, Beal has faced several issues with the law. As first reported by TMZ and confirmed by The Daily Mail via Michigan Department of Corrections records, Beal was imprisoned for two charges of failing to pay child support.
Furthermore, TMZ reported that a witness told police after Beal's release that the former athlete 'seemed a little off' and had stopped taking prescribed medication because he 'didn't like the way it made him feel.' The witness recalled Beal saying, 'If I was gone nobody would even care,' though did not describe him as suicidal.
Beal, a third-round draft pick from Western Michigan University whose NFL career lasted just two seasons, also has prior convictions. He pleaded guilty to a pair of gun charges in 2021 and later confessed to marijuana possession.
Authorities state that Beal was supposed to be reporting to a probation officer but failed to attend a meeting in August, prompting the officer to contact his family. All subsequent police attempts to locate him have been unsuccessful.
Anyone with information is urged to contact the Kenwood Police Department in Michigan at (616) 698-6580 or the Virginia Beach Police Department at (757) 385-4141.
