Three days later, his truck was found stuck in the sand near the Feather River. His gun, phone, and wallet were inside, but his keys and wallet were gone. There were no signs of a struggle.

Before he vanished, Samuel had stolen painkillers from his father, Rex. He’d also told his fiancée he wanted help for his drug problem and had a doctor’s appointment the day he disappeared.

Police are suspicious of Rex. He acted strangely after Samuel disappeared, didn’t tell police everything, and failed a lie detector test (although the results weren’t clear-cut). He denies involvement but offered a $10,000 reward and hired investigators. He also gave police a typed note claiming it was from Samuel, but they think it’s fake.

Samuel never left without his gun, so police believe something bad happened to him and that someone else likely left his truck by the river. The case is still a mystery.