The sister of former New York Giants defensive back Sam Beal has issued a heartfelt plea for assistance in locating her brother, who has not been seen for seven months.
Essence Zhane posted an appeal on Facebook on Monday, revealing the family’s desperate search for the 29-year-old former cornerback.
“Tomorrow makes it seven months since we’ve last heard from or seen my brother,” she wrote.
“We’ve done everything we could on our end to piece things together and at this point we’re in desperate need of support on all ends.”
Former NFL star Sam Beal has been missing for seven months
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She added: “I’m a Big sister and I need my brother to know that We Love You and miss you and this has been a heavy feeling for months to carry around.”
Beal vanished from Virginia Beach, Virginia, on 13 July 2025 under circumstances that remain unclear.
According to the National Missing and Unidentified Persons System database, the former NFL player had dropped his girlfriend at her family’s residence earlier that day.
He was meant to use her vehicle to travel to his workplace, yet instead drove towards the coastal city.
His girlfriend received one final communication from him, during which he indicated he was in Virginia Beach and intended to return home.
Sam Beal’s sister, Essence Zhane, posted to Facebook to request help in her search
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That journey never materialised, and no contact has been established with family or friends since that telephone conversation.
The girlfriend’s car was subsequently recovered in Virginia Beach by a member of her family.
Inside the vehicle, investigators discovered Beal’s footwear and socks discarded on the front passenger floor, accompanied by traces of sand.
The circumstances surrounding these items remain unexplained.
When Beal departed that day, he carried only minimal possessions with him.
According to the missing persons database, he took nothing beyond the clothing on his person, a pair of slides, and his wallet containing his bank card and driving licence.
The former athlete stands at 6ft 2in tall, weighs approximately 185 pounds, and possesses a muscular, athletic physique with brown eyes and black hair.
There remains mystery over Sam Beal’s disappearance
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Beal’s professional career began when the Giants selected him in the third round of the 2018 NFL Supplemental Draft following his time at Western Michigan University.
A shoulder injury sidelined him during his inaugural season, though he appeared in six matches in 2019, starting three of them.
He opted out of the 2020 campaign owing to coronavirus concerns and featured in just three games during 2021 before being released.
Prior to that final season, he pleaded guilty to firearms offences and received a year’s probation.
Anyone with information should contact Kentwood Police Department in Michigan on (616) 698-6580, or Virginia Beach investigators on (757) 385-4101.