Found Safe NJ - Thomas Kolding, 15, Mountain Lakes, 30 Oct 2018

[MissMYB]

There's a strong sense of admiration for his "resourcefulness" and "intelligence" in all of the parents' facebook posts. I'm not sure what's so admirable about running away or expending vast law-enforcement resources.

Perhaps they feel Thomas could be following his parents FB posts and want him to feel like he's not in any trouble so he will contact them.

 

[Shin Masamura]

Did he change his clothes? I wonder if mom and dad recognize the striped sweatshirt as something he already owned or if he could have purchased that somewhere? Where is he sleeping? What is he eating? Why is there not seemingly more concern for his safety? They should not have used the word "safe" IMO-- saying he appears safe and the subsequent news headlines saying he appears to be safe will lead to the public assuming he has been found. People will stop looking. JMO.

Well put about the "safe" comment, imagine if the head line was "Missing child endangered traveling cross country". As I learned here in the south, there's alot of predators out in the woods.. He might look safe, but are his encounters going to be? I wonder if this is going to end with him meeting up with his cousin and just returning home.. wasting LE efforts in the process.

 

[Shin Masamura]

any indication why he wanted so badly to get away from his family and never be found? What could be that bad?... he is 15 and "very mature" by all accounts. Ahem...

Not to laugh at the situation but that was sharp..

 

[Weeobanite]

There's a strong sense of admiration for his "resourcefulness" and "intelligence" in all of the parents' facebook posts. I'm not sure what's so admirable about running away or expending vast law-enforcement resources.

Sounds to me, by the way they’re talking.. that Thomas rules the roost! They seem like great parents who have given their kids a brilliant life full of fun and independence but maybe a bit too much and it’s come back to bite them!
I thought the comment about talking to Thomas like he’s 25 was a bit.. eye roll! I also do see that he’s a teenager and they want to calm him and not make matters worse but nope.. I say grab him and get the police like someone else mentioned earlier.

 

[JerseyGirl]

I wonder what brought him to the Philly area and why he stayed. If he wanted to get far away, he could have been in far away from the NJ area by now by bus or train

So he went missing in NYC Tuesday night, then shows up again in Philadelphia on Saturday??!?

I wonder where he had been staying between Wednesday night and Saturday. It's only a 1-1/2 hour trip by train from NYC to Philly.

 

[Gunslinging Granny]

Sounds to me, by the way they’re talking.. that Thomas rules the roost! They seem like great parents who have given their kids a brilliant life full of fun and independence but maybe a bit too much and it’s come back to bite them!
I thought the comment about talking to Thomas like he’s 25 was a bit.. eye roll! I also do see that he’s a teenager and they want to calm him and not make matters worse but nope.. I say grab him and get the police like someone else mentioned earlier.

He may be oppositionally defiant and does the opposite of what adults tell him to do. That's why his dad said "talk to him like he's 25 years old, not 15." Adults tell 15-year-olds what to do. Adults discuss options or make suggestions to 25-year-olds.

 

[JerseyGirl]

another photo:

Thomas Kolding during the summer of 2018

Update: Thomas Kolding – Missing for 8 days

 

[bears10]

Sounds to me, by the way they’re talking.. that Thomas rules the roost! They seem like great parents who have given their kids a brilliant life full of fun and independence but maybe a bit too much and it’s come back to bite them!
I thought the comment about talking to Thomas like he’s 25 was a bit.. eye roll! I also do see that he’s a teenager and they want to calm him and not make matters worse but nope.. I say grab him and get the police like someone else mentioned earlier.

I wonder if his parents put a lot of pressure on him to do well in school. In one of the articles I read, the dad mentions the argument about Thomas's grades, but immediately after he added in that Thomas is in honors classes. Appearances are very important to some people, and I can't help but think that has something to do with 1) Thomas leaving and 2) his disappearance not being made public for 3 days. jmo

 

[Weeobanite]

He may be oppositionally defiant and does the opposite of what adults tell him to do. That's why his dad said "talk to him like he's 25 years old, not 15." Adults tell 15-year-olds what to do. Adults discuss options or make suggestions to 25-year-olds.

I agree!

 

[Mercedes]

I hope this independent, self-sufficient teen makes it back to his home safely and soon.

 

[Weeobanite]

I wonder if his parents put a lot of pressure on him to do well in school. In one of the articles I read, the dad mentions the argument about Thomas's grades, but immediately after he added in that Thomas is in honors classes. Appearances are very important to some people, and I can't help but think that has something to do with 1) Thomas leaving and 2) his disappearance not being made public for 3 days. jmo

I think this is what’s it’s all about! Too much pressure. I went through a similar situation with my son. He didn’t run away but we had stressful arguments. I just had to back off a bit and all turned out fine.
I think his parents will realise this now and they’ll sort it out! He just needs to get home before something does happen to him!

 

[zecats]

I wonder what brought him to the Philly area and why he stayed. If he wanted to get far away, he could have been in far away from the NJ area by now by bus or train

So he went missing in NYC Tuesday night, then shows up again in Philadelphia on Saturday??!?

I wonder where he had been staying between Wednesday night and Saturday. It's only a 1-1/2 hour trip by train from NYC to Philly.

The photo shows him at a station in Camden, NJ. He could have gotten there by taking Amtrak to Philly and the AC Line or PATCO to Camden. Or NJ Transit to Trenton and River Line to Camden. I’m not clear if he was seen in Philly after this photo or if this is what is being called Philly. Lots of train travel to go in circles. Imo
Hope his independence and wisdom come in use because Camden isn’t always the best place to roam around.

 

[Curiousobserver]

How much money does he have left after those train rides? A resourceful 15 yr old will be fine until he runs out of money. Then he is going to need to call home or ask someone for help. I hope he runs into the right person when that happens. He is 15- I would look at areas near that sighting for public computer access and be checking his logins.

 

[JerseyGirl]

The photo shows him at a station in Camden, NJ. He could have gotten there by taking Amtrak to Philly and the AC Line or PATCO to Camden. Or NJ Transit to Trenton and River Line to Camden. I’m not clear if he was seen in Philly after this photo or if this is what is being called Philly. Lots of train travel to go in circles. Imo
Hope his independence and wisdom come in use because Camden isn’t always the best place to roam around.

This is what I don't understand. One article says he was seen in Philadelphia, another article says he was seen in Trenton, then this picture shows him at Camden station.

 

[Really?]

Safe? In Trenton, Camden or Philly. Good gosh your not from around are ya.
Really......he could be anywhere by now.

 

[DizzyB]

Amtrak security is much tighter than the subway system & NJ Transit. I'm surprised that a conductor didn't notice him.

 

[bears10]

This is what I don't understand. One article says he was seen in Philadelphia, another article says he was seen in Trenton, then this picture shows him at Camden station.

The link that said he was seen in Trenton was updated to say Camden. I am not sure about Philadelphia, but I think it's likely that he was only seen in Camden and maybe they assume he went to Philly from there? Just a guess.

 

[Curiousobserver]

Amtrak security is much tighter than the subway system & NJ Transit. I'm surprised that a conductor didn't notice him.

-yeah, a same day one way ticket paid in cash by a 15yr old kid...

 

[bears10]

Amtrak security is much tighter than the subway system & NJ Transit. I'm surprised that a conductor didn't notice him.

Was it confirmed he took an amtrak train?

 

[DizzyB]

Was it confirmed he took an amtrak train?

It was not confirmed-he attempted to register for Amtrak but did not purchase a ticket online. He could have gone to Penn NYC, taken NJ Transit to Camden, and Patco to Philly. Hopefully they know more.