New York Public Safety

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.