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.<\/p>\n
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.<\/p>\n
Although Julian occasionally stayed overnight with friends without telling his family, he had never gone an entire day without contacting his loved ones.<\/p>\n
This time, he never returned.<\/p>\n
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.<\/p>\n
In a 2014 interview with BuzzFeed News, his father, Michael Sam Sr., recalled watching Julian pitch against his brother Russell.<\/p>\n
“That boy could throw,” he said. “He used to strike Russell out all the time.”<\/p>\n
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.<\/p>\n
After Julian disappeared, his mother, JoAnn, told The Daily News she was especially concerned because he had just been paid.<\/p>\n
“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.<\/p>\n
Years later, his father reflected on the decision to let Julian work instead of focusing on baseball.<\/p>\n
“I should have let him throw that ball,” he told BuzzFeed News. “He would’ve been a left-handed pitcher.”<\/p>\n
What happened to Julian Michael Sam?<\/p>\n
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.<\/p>\n
He was last seen wearing a white T-shirt, blue jeans and blue-and-black sneakers.<\/p>\n
Julian is also the older brother of Michael Sam, the former University of Missouri football player who was drafted into the NFL in 2014.<\/p>\n
Although Julian’s case is classified as an endangered runaway, his family believes he is deceased, according to The Charley Project.<\/p>\n
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.<\/p>\n
Nearly 28 years after he disappeared, there are still no publicly known answers about what happened to him.<\/p>\n
Anyone with information about Julian Michael Sam’s disappearance is asked to contact the La Marque Police Department at 409-938-9269.<\/p>\n
Have a missing or unidentified person case you think should be featured in Texas Missing? Email us<\/a> with information about the case.<\/p>\n What to do when someone goes missing<\/p>\n 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.<\/p>\n 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.<\/p>\n The Texas Center for the Missing<\/a> is an organization with Houston roots that works to educate loved ones and authorities on finding the lost. Click here <\/a>to file a report with them.<\/p>\n The nonprofit has resources for families of missing children or endangered adults.<\/p>\n