Julian Michael Sam was supposed to be buying tickets to his high school’s homecoming football game when he disappeared on Oct. 16, 1998. The 16-year-old had just gotten paid from his job and was carrying $200, but his family never heard from him again.
According to The Charley Project, a friend dropped Julian off at Etheridge Stadium in La Marque, about 40 miles southeast of Houston, so he could purchase tickets for the game.
Although Julian occasionally stayed overnight with friends without telling his family, he had never gone an entire day without contacting his loved ones.
This time, he never returned.
Julian, who went by the nicknames “Ice Pick” and “Pick,” was working for a local cable company when he disappeared. He was also a talented baseball player, known for his pitching ability.
In a 2014 interview with BuzzFeed News, his father, Michael Sam Sr., recalled watching Julian pitch against his brother Russell.
“That boy could throw,” he said. “He used to strike Russell out all the time.”
His father said Julian wanted to earn his own money and had repeatedly asked for permission to get a job. Eventually, he agreed to let his son work at the cable company.
After Julian disappeared, his mother, JoAnn, told The Daily News she was especially concerned because he had just been paid.
“What has me afraid is that he had just gotten paid, and had $200 on him,” she said in an October 1998 newspaper report cited by BuzzFeed News.
Years later, his father reflected on the decision to let Julian work instead of focusing on baseball.
“I should have let him throw that ball,” he told BuzzFeed News. “He would’ve been a left-handed pitcher.”
What happened to Julian Michael Sam?
Julian was 5 feet, 4 inches tall and weighed approximately 130 pounds when he disappeared. He had black hair, brown eyes and was left-handed.
He was last seen wearing a white T-shirt, blue jeans and blue-and-black sneakers.
Julian is also the older brother of Michael Sam, the former University of Missouri football player who was drafted into the NFL in 2014.
Although Julian’s case is classified as an endangered runaway, his family believes he is deceased, according to The Charley Project.
An age-progression image released by the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children shows what Julian might have looked like at age 43 in 2025. He would be 44 years old today.
Nearly 28 years after he disappeared, there are still no publicly known answers about what happened to him.
Anyone with information about Julian Michael Sam’s disappearance is asked to contact the La Marque Police Department at 409-938-9269.
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What to do when someone goes missing
Tens of thousands of people go missing every year across the United States, and there are organizations and law enforcement agencies that work to bring them home to loved ones.
The first thing you should do when a loved one goes missing is alert your local law enforcement agencies. Provide a photo and key details, including when and where they were last seen.
The Texas Center for the Missing is an organization with Houston roots that works to educate loved ones and authorities on finding the lost. Click here to file a report with them.
The nonprofit has resources for families of missing children or endangered adults.
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