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A tragic conclusion has emerged in the case of a 15-year-old boy from Long Island who went missing after planning to meet an acquaintance from the online game Roblox. Authorities have confirmed that the body of Thomas Medlin was discovered in the waters near Red Hook, Brooklyn, two months following his disappearance.
The Suffolk County Police Department reported that Medlin, a resident of St. James, New York, was found on March 7. His identity was officially confirmed by officials on Thursday, bringing a somber end to the search for the teenager.
According to police, Medlin left his school, Stony Brook School, on the afternoon of January 9 at approximately 3:30 p.m. He was seen heading towards the train station in Stony Brook. Later that day, around 5:30 p.m., he was spotted at Grand Central Terminal in Manhattan.
After Thomas vanished, his family revealed that he had traveled to New York City with the intention of meeting someone he had befriended through Roblox, a popular online gaming platform.
The identification of his body was completed on March 12, confirming the heartbreaking reality for his family and community. The Suffolk County Police Department continues to investigate the circumstances surrounding his disappearance and subsequent death.
A Roblox spokesperson previously told Fox News Digital the platform is “built with safety at its core” and offers parental controls that allow parents to disable the in-game chat function.
“We are deeply troubled by this incident and are working with law enforcement to support their investigation,” the spokesperson said. “Roblox is built with safety at its core, including robust policies to help protect users that go beyond many other platforms. We have filters designed to block the sharing of personal information and don’t allow user-to-user image or video sharing.”
The company added that “while no system is perfect, our commitment to safety never ends, and we continue to evolve and strengthen our protections every day.”
In this surveillance photo, Thomas Medlin is seen walking in Grand Central Station in New York City around 5:30 p.m. on Jan. 9, police said. (Suffolk County Police Department)
After reviewing Medlin’s social media and online gaming profiles, police determined the platforms were “not connected” to the teen’s disappearance.
Police added there is “no indication of criminal activity.”
Investigators determined through video and digital evidence that Medlin’s last known location was on the pedestrian walkway of the Manhattan Bridge on Jan. 9 at 7:06 p.m., and his cellphone was last active at 7:09 p.m.
Suffolk County Police confirmed on March 12 that Thomas Medlin’s body was recovered in Brooklyn weeks after he went missing. (Suffolk County Police Department)
A splash was captured on surveillance video in the water below at 7:10 p.m., according to investigators. Authorities said Medlin was never seen walking off the bridge.
The investigation remains ongoing.
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