New Evidence Shows Boy Who Disappeared After Traveling to N.Y.C. 2 Weeks Ago Was Last Seen on Bridge Over Water
Thomas Medlin, 15, was last seen on January 9
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Thomas Medlin.Credit :
Suffolk County Police Department
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Thomas Medlin, 15, vanished after traveling into Manhattan from his Long Island, N.Y., school on Jan. 9
The teen’s mother previously said she believed he was heading into the city to see someone he met on Roblox, but in an update, police said they haven’t found any proof of that
In their latest update, police also said that they’ve determined Thomas’ last known location was on a pedestrian walkway of the Manhattan Bridge
New footage shows that a missing Long Island teen, who disappeared in New York City over 2 weeks ago, was last seen on a bridge over a river, according to police.
In an update on Wednesday, Jan. 28, the Suffolk County Police Department said that as part of their ongoing investigation, which included “extensive video canvassing and review of digital evidence,” detectives determined that Thomas Medlin, 15, was last seen on a pedestrian walkway on the Manhattan Bridge on Jan. 9 at 7:06 p.m.
The Manhattan Bridge spans from Lower Manhattan to Downtown Brooklyn, and crosses over the East River.
“The last activity on his cell phone was on January 9 at 7:09 p.m. and a nearby surveillance camera captured a splash in the water on January 9 at 7:10 p.m,” police continued, noting that the teen was “never seen leaving the bridge via path exits.”
Although his family previously said that they thought their son went into the city to see somebody he met through Roblox, in their update, police said that so far, they haven’t found any proof of that.
“Under the issuance of subpoenas and search warrants, an examination so far of multiple social
media/online gaming profiles and forensic examination of electronic devices associated with
Medlin was conducted,” police continued in their statement. “This examination has determined these platforms are not connected to his disappearance.”
Police, who did not mention anything in their update about Medlin being found, went on to say that there is “no indication of criminal activity.”
“Detectives have continuously communicated the department’s findings to Medlin’s family,” police added. “The department is continuing to work with its law enforcement partners to bring closure to the family.”
Police did not immediately respond to PEOPLE’s request for additional comment.
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Thomas Medlin.Suffolk County Police Department
Medlin, of St. James, a Suffolk County hamlet, disappeared on Jan. 9, when he headed into the New York City borough of Manhattan after school, according to an original release from the department published online on Jan. 12.
He left Stony Brook School that day around 3:30 p.m. and “ran” to the Stony Brook Long Island Rail Road station, where he seemingly caught a train into Manhattan.
The teen was seen at Grand Central Station around two hours later.
A photo previously shared by police showed the 15 year old wearing a backpack and holding a large object while walking on what appeared to be a N.Y.C. subway train platform.
In a previous statement to PEOPLE, a spokesperson for Roblox said they were “deeply troubled by this incident and are working with law enforcement to support their investigation.”
The company had no additional comment when reached by PEOPLE about the latest update from officials.
