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A 15-year-old Long Island boy who disappeared after telling his family he was meeting a player of the online game Roblox has been found dead in the water off Brooklyn two months later, police said.
The Suffolk County Police Department announced that Thomas Medlin, of St. James, New York, was recovered from the waters of Red Hook in Brooklyn on March 7. Authorities confirmed his identity on Thursday.
Authorities said Madeline left Stony Brook School around 3:30 p.m. on Jan. 9 and ran toward the Stony Brook train station. He was last seen at Grand Central Terminal in Manhattan at around 5:30 pm that day.
After his disappearance, Madeline’s family said their son had gone to New York City to visit someone he met through the online game Roblox.
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Thomas Medlin, 15, was identified on March 12 when his body was recovered from the water near Red Hook in Brooklyn, more than two months after he disappeared. (Suffolk County Police Department)
A spokesperson for Roblox previously told Fox News Digital that the platform is “built with security in mind” and offers parental controls that allow parents to disable the in-game chat function.
“We are deeply disturbed by this incident and are working with law enforcement to assist in their investigation,” the spokesperson said. “Roblox is built with security at its core, including robust policies to help protect users beyond many other platforms. We have filters designed to prevent the sharing of personal information and do not allow user-to-user image or video sharing.”
The company said that “although no system is perfect, our commitment to security never ends, and we continue to evolve and strengthen our security every day.”
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This surveillance photo shows Thomas Medlin walking through Grand Central Station in New York City on Jan. 9 around 5:30 p.m., police said. (Suffolk County Police Department)
After reviewing Madeline’s social media and online gaming profiles, police determined that these platforms were “not connected” to the teen’s disappearance.
Police said there was “no indication of criminal activity.”
Investigators determined through video and digital evidence that Madeline’s last known location was on the Manhattan Bridge walkway at 7:06 pm on January 9, and her cellphone was last activated at 7:09 pm.
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Suffolk County Police confirmed on March 12 that the body of Thomas Medlin had been recovered in Brooklyn, weeks after he went missing. (Suffolk County Police Department)
According to investigators, a splash in the water below was captured on surveillance video at 7:10 p.m. Authorities said Madeline was never seen walking from the bridge.
Investigation is ongoing.
Fox News Digital’s Stephen Soares contributed to this report.
