Officials identified a 15-year-old boy in Brooklyn, New York. around two months after he had disappeared and his family alleged he went to meet a contact from Roblox.
Thomas Medlin went missing Jan. 9 after leaving directly from his Long Island school for the city, where his last known location was on the Manhattan Bridge’s pedestrian walkway later that evening, a Suffolk County Police Department (SCPD) statement said. Following him going missing, his family said he had traveled to the city to meet a person he met via an online game marketed for children, Roblox, according to Fox News Digital. (RELATED: Authorities Say No Children Or Staff Hurt In Synagogue Attack)
An investigation and digital surveillance showed detectives that Medlin was last seen on the bridge at 7:06 p.m., his phone last showed activity at 7:09 p.m. and surveillance camera in the vicinity recorded a splash in the water at 7:10 p.m., according to the SCPD. Officials said Medlin was never seen exiting the bridge through the path exits.
Medlin’s body was found in the water March 7 off Red Hook, Brooklyn, but his identity was not confirmed until March 12, according to the statement.
An examination of multiple social media and online gaming profiles by authorities determined that they were not tied to his disappearance, and officials found no signs of criminal activity, the county’s statement said. Officials said they have relayed their findings to Medlin’s family and continue to investigate his death.
Roblox released a statement about Medlin’s disappearance sharing concern for the family in late January. The firm announced that it had reached out to law enforcement agencies and shared the findings of an investigation into Medlin’s account.
The investigation determined that all chat content matched expected in-game discussions, no off-platform contact information was distributed and there were no signs Medlin used the option to voice chat, according to the statement.
“Roblox is built with safety at its core, including robust policies to help protect users that go beyond many other platforms,” A Roblox spokesperson told Fox News Digital. “We have filters designed to block the sharing of personal information and don’t allow user-to-user image or video sharing.”