NY NY - Thomas Medlin, 15, Stony Brook, 9 Jan 2026 *last seen on Manhattan same day*

[investikater]

Here's a short video of Thomas's last known location on the Manhattan Bridge. Sorry for the shaky phone footage, but I think it gives a decent overview of what the pedestrian path is like on the bridge.

Bravo that was absolutely brilliant! I wasn't expecting anything like that.
You have a real talent. Please consider doing more videos for other cases.
(You could maybe even do it professionally like the people who do pardon plea videos.)

 

[investikater]

Well that's all pretty depressing considering this very sad situation. I'm glad there's something, but it seems more could be done. JMO.

Here's a short video of Thomas's last known location on the Manhattan Bridge. Sorry for the shaky phone footage, but I think it gives a decent overview of what the pedestrian path is like on the bridge.

Maybe Thomas can inspire some updates to the bridge. I wonder how often people are disappearing from it in its current state?

 

[investikater]

"The original pedestrian walkway on the west side of the bridge was reopened in June 2001, having been closed for 20 years.[277]"

Manhattan Bridge - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

Cyclists and Walkers Regain a Bridge (Published 2001)

www.nytimes.com

"After rubble was found in Brooklyn Bridge Park under the Brooklyn approach in 2018, Skanska was given a contract to repair parts of the bridge at a cost of $75.9 million. The renovation was scheduled to finish in early 2021. The work entailed replacing some fencing, installing some new steel beams on the spans, and refurbishing ornamental elements on the towers.[287]"

Manhattan Bridge - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

$80M in additional repairs planned for 109-year-old Manhattan Bridge | 6sqft

The announcement of the latest rehab project comes a few months after fallen debris from the bridge was found in a section of the Brooklyn Bridge Park.

www.6sqft.com

"Skanska will replace and refurbish ornamental cast iron pieces of the bridge’s two towers, replace underdeck arch brackets, replace fence paneling from the Brooklyn to Manhattan approaches, and repair the structural steel beams on the main span and approaches."

 

[investikater]

"The original pedestrian walkway on the west side of the bridge was reopened in June 2001, having been closed for 20 years.[277]"

Manhattan Bridge - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

Cyclists and Walkers Regain a Bridge (Published 2001)

www.nytimes.com

"After rubble was found in Brooklyn Bridge Park under the Brooklyn approach in 2018, Skanska was given a contract to repair parts of the bridge at a cost of $75.9 million. The renovation was scheduled to finish in early 2021. The work entailed replacing some fencing, installing some new steel beams on the spans, and refurbishing ornamental elements on the towers.[287]"

Manhattan Bridge - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

$80M in additional repairs planned for 109-year-old Manhattan Bridge | 6sqft

The announcement of the latest rehab project comes a few months after fallen debris from the bridge was found in a section of the Brooklyn Bridge Park.

www.6sqft.com

"Skanska will replace and refurbish ornamental cast iron pieces of the bridge’s two towers, replace underdeck arch brackets, replace fence paneling from the Brooklyn to Manhattan approaches, and repair the structural steel beams on the main span and approaches."

Did all that damage occur in 5 years?!

 

[Lisbeth_S]

Here's a short video of Thomas's last known location on the Manhattan Bridge. Sorry for the shaky phone footage, but I think it gives a decent overview of what the pedestrian path is like on the bridge.

Great video @warp3dwing!
I assume it was quite dark when Thomas is supposedly at the bridge (7:09pm) since the sun set at 4:46pm in NY on that day, and probably quite deserted.
I can imagine how Thomas would be able to jump the fence without no one seeing him.

I still think that a splash in the water is not enough to assume the worst, but the fact that his phone last pinged at 7:09, a minute before the splash is quite ominous.

I have an issue with the phone though: it was reported at the beginning that it was found in lower Manhattan. If the phone last pinged at 7:09pm and the splash was heard at 7:10pm this means that Thomas would have to turn off his phone, leave it somewhere then go up the bridge and jump in less than 1 minute.
The only way this would work is if he left the phone on the bridge where he jumped and the location that has generally been reported as "lower Manhattan" is actually the bridge itself. And if this is the case and it was so clear to police that everything fits with him having jumped, why not just say it?

One other thing, is he not seen on camera because the location he potentially jumped from is a blind spot or because it's too dark to see?
I would think that if they have so many jumpers on that bridge, the cameras would cover the whole of it.

 

[warp3dwing]

Bravo that was absolutely brilliant! I wasn't expecting anything like that.
You have a real talent. Please consider doing more videos for other cases.
(You could maybe even do it professionally like the people who do pardon plea videos.)

That's kind of you, thank you.

It's very difficult to break through in the "true crime video" world. Years ago, I made a series of videos for my missing friend, Kelley Brannon, but people would rather sit through 45 minutes of a psychic blathering on than a 5-minute video discussing digital forensics. It was all very disheartening (and it still is).

You basically have to treat your video channel like a business to crack through the algorithm, and I find that a pretty distasteful proposition when it comes to missing or murdered people.

 

[warp3dwing]

"The original pedestrian walkway on the west side of the bridge was reopened in June 2001, having been closed for 20 years.[277]"

Manhattan Bridge - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

Cyclists and Walkers Regain a Bridge (Published 2001)

www.nytimes.com

"After rubble was found in Brooklyn Bridge Park under the Brooklyn approach in 2018, Skanska was given a contract to repair parts of the bridge at a cost of $75.9 million. The renovation was scheduled to finish in early 2021. The work entailed replacing some fencing, installing some new steel beams on the spans, and refurbishing ornamental elements on the towers.[287]"

Manhattan Bridge - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

$80M in additional repairs planned for 109-year-old Manhattan Bridge | 6sqft

The announcement of the latest rehab project comes a few months after fallen debris from the bridge was found in a section of the Brooklyn Bridge Park.

www.6sqft.com

"Skanska will replace and refurbish ornamental cast iron pieces of the bridge’s two towers, replace underdeck arch brackets, replace fence paneling from the Brooklyn to Manhattan approaches, and repair the structural steel beams on the main span and approaches."

Wow, that's very interesting. I hadn't realized the walkway was closed for 20 years.

The fence seemed in worse shape toward the center of the bridge vs the ends, but chain link always looks ratty. You won't find that on the Brooklyn Bridge!

The bridge itself looked fine, but it's clearly a less-popular span for good reason. It definitely could use another makeover.

 

[warp3dwing]

Great video @warp3dwing!
I assume it was quite dark when Thomas is supposedly at the bridge (7:09pm) since the sun set at 4:46pm in NY on that day, and probably quite deserted.
I can imagine how Thomas would be able to jump the fence without no one seeing him.

I still think that a splash in the water is not enough to assume the worst, but the fact that his phone last pinged at 7:09, a minute before the splash is quite ominous.

I have an issue with the phone though: it was reported at the beginning that it was found in lower Manhattan. If the phone last pinged at 7:09pm and the splash was heard at 7:10pm this means that Thomas would have to turn off his phone, leave it somewhere then go up the bridge and jump in less than 1 minute.
The only way this would work is if he left the phone on the bridge where he jumped and the location that has generally been reported as "lower Manhattan" is actually the bridge itself. And if this is the case and it was so clear to police that everything fits with him having jumped, why not just say it?

One other thing, is he not seen on camera because the location he potentially jumped from is a blind spot or because it's too dark to see?
I would think that if they have so many jumpers on that bridge, the cameras would cover the whole of it.

Thanks!

It would have been dark, or should I say "dark", since the city itself produces a good deal of light. But even so, a black outfit against black water would've been hard to spot - just a tiny speck against a big backdrop.

The bridge probably would've been busier than when I filmed: it was warmer, people were returning from work and heading out for Friday night fun. However, as you can see, the Brooklyn Bridge is the real attraction and more pleasant to traverse, so I think the Manhattan Bridge would still provide plenty of quiet moments to slip over the fence undetected.

If a splash big enough to be spotted on CCTV occurred, the causes are few. It would have to be a large, heavy object falling from the bridge. There really is no other explanation. Whether it'd have to be human-sized, I don't know.

Regarding the phone location: LE only reported they traced his location to Cherry & Rutgers Streets (lower Manhattan), then Jay and Sands Streets, followed by actual CCTV footage on the bridge. I suspect that he wasn't on foot in lower Manhattan but that his phone location - which I believe his parents had access to (?) - popped up there.

Phones don't have connection in the subway tunnels but do connect in the stations. When I took the F train to York, my location popped up in that approximate area when entering the East Broadway station (see screenshot). I believe that might've been what happened.

LE stated "the last activity on his cell phone" was at 7:09pm, which, I believe, means that's the last time he physically interacted with the phone, not just the last time it pinged a tower. He was on the bridge at that time. No further interactions were recorded. It probably went over the side with him. I don't think they can definitively say he jumped without a body.

I do think there needs to be better surveillance on the walkway itself. The CCTV cameras mounted up so high are clearly not designed to capture pedestrians in any detail. From the video, you can see that the tower cameras wouldn't be able to film what's directly below them. In fact, none of them could capture a jump as the person falls straight down. But the cameras at the bridge ends would be able to track who entered the pathway but did not leave.

 

[Lisbeth_S]

Regarding the phone location: LE only reported they traced his location to Cherry & Rutgers Streets (lower Manhattan), then Jay and Sands Streets, followed by actual CCTV footage on the bridge. I suspect that he wasn't on foot in lower Manhattan but that his phone location - which I believe his parents had access to (?) - popped up there.

Thank you.
I have re-checked the article where I read about the phone being "found".
(BBM)
"Police recently told the family that the boy’s phone was located in Lower Manhattan and he was recently spotted on surveillance video in Brooklyn, Yan told the outlet."

I had interpreted "located" as found...but they probably meant the last known location was in Lower Manhattan.
My bad.

LE stated "the last activity on his cell phone" was at 7:09pm, which, I believe, means that's the last time he physically interacted with the phone, not just the last time it pinged a tower. He was on the bridge at that time. No further interactions were recorded. It probably went over the side with him. I don't think they can definitively say he jumped without a body.

Yes this now makes sense.
He interacts with the phone and a minute later it goes over the fence with him.

Sad

 

[warp3dwing]

Thank you.
I have re-checked the article where I read about the phone being "found".
(BBM)
"Police recently told the family that the boy’s phone was located in Lower Manhattan and he was recently spotted on surveillance video in Brooklyn, Yan told the outlet."

I had interpreted "located" as found...but they probably meant the last known location was in Lower Manhattan.
My bad.


Yes this now makes sense.
He interacts with the phone and a minute later it goes over the fence with him.

Sad

Ah, I see. It's the NY Post being confused, as always.

The only official statement, AFAIK, is on the Suffolk County Police Department's report:

Following an investigation, including extensive video canvassing and review of digital evidence,
detectives determined that Thomas Medlin's last known location was on the pedestrian walkway
on the Manhattan Bridge on January 9 at 7:06 p.m. 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. Medlin was never seen leaving the bridge via path exits.

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. This examination has determined these platforms are not connected to his
disappearance.

There is no indication of criminal activity. Detectives have continuously communicated the
department’s findings to Medlin’s family. The department is continuing to work with its law
enforcement partners to bring closure to the family.

It really is so sad.