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A 15-year-old Long Island boy who vanished after telling his family he was meeting someone from the online game Roblox was found dead in Brooklyn waters two months later, police said.
Thomas Medlin, of St. James, New York, was recovered from waters off Red Hook in Brooklyn on March 7, the Suffolk County Police Department announced. Officials confirmed his identity Thursday.
Medlin left the Stony Brook School on Jan. 9 around 3:30 p.m. and ran to the Stony Brook train station, authorities said. He was last seen at Grand Central Terminal in Manhattan around 5:30 p.m. later that day.
After his disappearance, Medlin’s family said their son had gone to New York City to meet someone he met through the online game Roblox.
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Thomas Medlin, 15, was identified on March 12 after his body was recovered from waters off Red Hook in Brooklyn, more than two months after he vanished. (Suffolk County Police Department)
A Roblox spokesperson previously told 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.”
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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.
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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.
Digital’s Stephen Sorace contributed to this report.
