Missing Long Island Teen Found Dead After Last Being Tracked to Manhattan Bridge
Suffolk County Police say 15‑year‑old Thomas Medlin of St. James, New York, who disappeared Jan. 9 after telling his family he was going to New York City to meet someone from the online game Roblox, was found dead in the waters off Red Hook, Brooklyn, on March 7 and formally identified March 12. Investigators used surveillance and digital evidence to determine his last known location was the pedestrian walkway of the Manhattan Bridge at 7:06 p.m. on Jan. 9, with his phone last active at 7:09 p.m. and a splash captured on video below at 7:10 p.m.; police say he was never seen walking off the bridge. After reviewing his social‑media and gaming accounts, police say they have found no connection between those platforms and his disappearance and report "no indication of criminal activity" at this time, though the investigation remains open. Roblox, which had drawn scrutiny after Medlin’s family initially said he went to meet someone from the platform, called the case "deeply troubling," stressed its safety features and cooperation with law enforcement, and emphasized that no system is perfect.
📌 Key Facts
- Thomas Medlin, 15, left the Stony Brook School around 3:30 p.m. Jan. 9 and was last seen at Grand Central Terminal around 5:30 p.m. that day
- Police say video and digital evidence place his last known location on the Manhattan Bridge pedestrian walkway at 7:06 p.m., with his phone last active at 7:09 p.m.
- A splash was captured on surveillance video in the water below at 7:10 p.m., and authorities say Medlin was never observed walking off the bridge
- His body was recovered from waters off Red Hook, Brooklyn, on March 7 and identified on March 12, with police reporting no indication of criminal activity
- After reviewing his online profiles, investigators say Roblox and other platforms were "not connected" to his disappearance, while Roblox publicly highlighted its safety controls and cooperation with police
📊 Relevant Data
In 2023, suicide was the second leading cause of death for individuals aged 10-14 and 15-24 in the United States.
Suicide by Age — Suicide Prevention Resource Center
In 2023, the age-adjusted suicide rate among males was approximately four times higher than among females (22.7 per 100,000 for males vs. 5.9 per 100,000 for females).
In 2023, for youth aged 10-24, the suicide rate was 25.3 per 100,000 among non-Hispanic American Indian or Alaska Native individuals (who comprise about 1.1% of the US population), compared to 10.9 for non-Hispanic White (about 58%), 10.7 for non-Hispanic Black (about 13%), and 7.7 for Hispanic (about 20%).
Since 2018, police in the US have arrested at least two dozen suspects for abducting or abusing children they met via Roblox, with specific cases including kidnappings and sexual assaults reported between 2019 and 2024.
Roblox: Inflated Key Metrics For Wall Street And A Pedophile Hellscape For Kids — Hindenburg Research
📰 Source Timeline (1)
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