Kentwood, Mich., detectives remain the lead; Virginia Beach police assisting after the car tied to the case turned up on the coast.
KENTWOOD, MI — Police say former New York Giants cornerback Samuel “Sam” Beal has been missing since mid-July 2025, when he left western Michigan in his girlfriend’s car and later called from Virginia Beach, Va., saying he planned to come home. The vehicle was recovered in Virginia Beach with his shoes and socks inside, but authorities have found no sign of Beal.
Beal, 29, was reported missing in August 2025 after he missed a required check-in, according to police and family accounts. Kentwood police in Michigan are the department of record on the case, with Virginia Beach police assisting because the car was located there and because his last known call referenced that city. The National Missing and Unidentified Persons System lists the case, and relatives have renewed public appeals this month. Officials have not announced any credible sightings since July 2025, and they have not disclosed evidence of foul play, leaving the investigation in an open, fact-gathering stage.
Investigators say the known timeline begins July 12, 2025, when Beal dropped his girlfriend at a family member’s home near Grand Rapids and borrowed her vehicle, telling her he was headed to work in Kentwood. He never arrived. On July 13, during a phone call, he told her he was in Virginia Beach and intended to return to Michigan, according to the missing-person report summarized by family and media outlets. The car was later recovered in Virginia Beach. Inside, police noted his shoes and socks and sand on the floorboard. “We remain the primary investigative agency and are coordinating with our partners in Virginia Beach,” a Kentwood police spokesperson said this week. Virginia Beach police said they are aware of the case and are supporting the department of record’s efforts.
Authorities and relatives say Beal left with little more than the clothes he was wearing, a pair of slides and his wallet. Records compiled in the missing-person file state that he had been working a job in Kentwood before he vanished. The file also captures statements from witnesses who described him as struggling emotionally in the months prior. Police have not said whether those accounts change how they are searching for him, and they have not released any mental health diagnosis or treatment details. Officials have not announced any confirmed purchases or bank activity after July. They also have not tied him to friends, relatives or employers in Virginia Beach, and investigators have not publicly identified any suspect, person of interest or crime scene connected to his disappearance.
Beal’s football career offers context but few clues. A standout at Ottawa Hills High School in Grand Rapids and Western Michigan University, he entered the NFL in the 2018 supplemental draft and spent parts of four seasons with the Giants. He battled injuries and opted out of the 2020 season before the team waived him in 2021. Public records show unrelated legal issues earlier in his career and a later child-support case in Michigan. Family members say his life grew less stable after football ended, but police have not connected those past matters to his current disappearance. What remains relevant to investigators, they say, are the last confirmed movements in July 2025 and the car recovered in Virginia Beach.
Procedurally, Kentwood police opened the case in August 2025 and later entered it into the national NamUs database. Virginia Beach officers say they have supported requests for local checks and follow-up in the coastal city. Investigators have not announced search warrants, subpoenas or forensic results from the car, and no scheduled public briefings appear on either agency’s calendar. The NFL Players Association has acknowledged the situation, according to family accounts, but has not provided public updates. Detectives typically continue by validating tips, reviewing phone records, canvassing the area where the car was found and re-interviewing people who last spoke with the missing person. Police have not specified when they will release additional case materials.
Relatives have stepped forward in recent days to keep the case in view. His sister, Essence Zhane, made an emotional plea, saying the family wants answers and contact from investigators. She described Beal as a devoted father and a private person who sometimes took time away to reset, but she said seven months without a call is unlike him. Neighbors in Grand Rapids say they remember Beal as a quiet presence who kept to a small circle after his playing days. In Virginia Beach, residents near the area where the car was recovered said they did not recall meeting him in July and had not seen police activity there recently, underscoring how few public leads have emerged.
As of Tuesday, no agency has reported locating Beal or confirming new activity linked to him. Kentwood police remain the lead investigators and say the case is open. Virginia Beach police continue to assist. The next public milestone would be an update from either department or a new entry in public records. For now, the official timeline still ends with the July 13 call and the car recovered on the coast.
Author note: Last updated January 20, 2026.