Two months after Long Island boy Thomas Medlin, 15, went missing from his New York home, he was found dead in Brooklyn waters, police said. Medlin of St. James, a hamlet in Suffolk County, disappeared after he headed into Manhattan from his home in Long Island, New York, on January 9.
Medlin’s mother initially said that the teen left to meet someone he met online through Roblox, an online gaming platform, according to People.
Days after Medlin went missing, Suffolk County police shared a concerning update, saying he was caught on surveillance video pacing the Manhattan Bridge, but moments later, the cameras recorded an ominous splash in the East River. Cops noted in the January 18 update that the footage does not show the teen leaving the bridge.
Medlin’s body was recovered from waters off Red Hook in Brooklyn on March 7, the Suffolk County Police Department announced.
{{/usCountry}}Medlin’s body was recovered from waters off Red Hook in Brooklyn on March 7, the Suffolk County Police Department announced.
{{/usCountry}}National Center for Missing & Exploited Children also announced the tragic news in a Facebook post, which read, “We are heartbroken by the tragic loss of 15-year-old Thomas Medlin, who had been missing since Jan. 9, 2026. Thank you to everyone who shared his poster and story. Our thoughts are with Thomas’ family, the Stony Brook, New York, community, and all who are grieving.”
Was there a Roblox link in Thomas Medlin’s disappearance and death?
Police reviewed Medlin’s social media and online gaming profiles and determined that the platforms were "not connected" to the teen’s disappearance. Cops ruled out any connection between Roblox and Medlin’s disappearance. They also stated that there is "no indication of criminal activity."
A Roblox spokesperson previously told Fox News Digital the platform is "built with safety at its core.” They added that it offers parental controls that allow parents to disable the in-game chat function.
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"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 further said that "while no system is perfect, our commitment to safety never ends, and we continue to evolve and strengthen our protections every day."