When 15-year-old Thomas Medlin stepped off the Long Island Rail Road at Manhattan’s iconic Grand Central Terminal on January 9, no one could have predicted that would be the last confirmed sighting of him alive. What began as an ordinary school day turned into a heart-wrenching mystery that has left his family living in fear and an entire region on edge.

Thomas, a student at the prestigious Stony Brook School — a campus known for its rigorous academics and safe community — vanished after leaving early in the afternoon under circumstances that have baffled investigators and devastated his loved ones. Surveillance footage captured him in the city that evening, but after that moment, all contact abruptly stopped.

The Suffolk County Police Department and Thomas’ distraught mother, Eva Yan, believe he may have traveled into New York City to meet someone he had connected with on Roblox, one of the world’s most popular online gaming platforms. Authorities have traced his phone to Lower Manhattan and even caught fleeting glimpses of him on camera in parts of Brooklyn, but no one has any idea where he might be now.

Thomas’ disappearance is deeply out of character, his mother told reporters, pleading directly to her son — or anyone with him — to “just send a message” and let his family know he’s safe. She insists he’s not in trouble and that the family’s only concern is finding him alive and well.

Roblox has issued a statement saying it is working cooperatively with law enforcement but emphasized that its review of in-game activity did not find evidence Thomas was directed to communicate off the platform or share personal contact details. Still, questions remain about how a teenager could disappear so suddenly after planning what seemed to be a casual meetup.

As the search enters its third week with winter’s biting cold settling over the region, volunteers, police, and Thomas’ family continue combing through shelters, transit hubs, and city streets — desperate for any sign of him. With each passing day, the hopeful ache for answers grows, leaving loved ones praying that the next clue will finally bring Thomas home.