In the early hours of Tuesday morning, March 5, 2024, the Chelsea neighborhood of New York City witnessed an awful tragedy. Jon Medwick, a 62-year-old cartoonist and cherished member of his co-op apartment at 300 W. 23rd Street, took his life by jumping from the 15th floor of his apartment building. Despite the desperate efforts of his 45-year-old girlfriend to save him, Medwick slipped through her grasp and plummeted to his death.
Things had spiraled out of control rapidly when Medwick’s girlfriend, awakening to a nightmare scenario, found him standing precariously at the window. She tried to grab him, to pull him back from the brink, but in a moment that would haunt her forever, he slipped away. Police and emergency services rushed to the scene around 5:45 a.m., responding to a distressing 911 call, only to confirm the tragic outcome.
“Seeing the coroner arrive, along with a body bag and an ambulance, I realized something had occurred,” a resident of the building remarked. “The location of his apartment is towards the building’s rear. According to what others mentioned, he leaped out of his apartment window.”
According to police, the cartoonist, who accepted private commissions and freelanced as a copywriter, was experiencing depression at the time of the jump.
Another resident mentioned that Medwick’s girlfriend, with whom he shared his home, was significantly distressed as she was transported to the hospital following his death. “The girlfriend seemed extremely troubled. She mentioned her legs were in pain… It was unclear if it was due to anxiety. EMS attended to her,” the resident added.
Another individual from the building disclosed to the media that Medwick had been living with his girlfriend since shortly before the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic and that his brother frequently visited. They remarked, “He was skilled in cartooning. He once made a drawing for me, which was quite impressive.”
Medwick, who also worked at WebMD, was more than a resident; he was a vital part of the fabric of the Chelsea community. Serving on the co-op board of his building, he was described by neighbors as a “very nice” and “sociable” person. He purchased the Chelsea apartment in 2012 for $1.45 million.
His Instagram account showcased stunning photos of Manhattan sunsets, presumably taken from his high-rise abode, reflecting a deep appreciation for the city he called home. Despite the sociable facade, Medwick battled with depression, a struggle known to those closest to him. his loved ones.
Medwick is the latest well-known New Yorker to jump to their death from high-rise apartment windows in recent months.
In February, a man fell to his death from a high-rise in the Financial District. The incident occurred at 19 Dutch Street at Fulton Street in Manhattan’s Financial District, a luxury building where rents can reach as much as $10,000 a month.
A 56-year-old jumped to his death from the fourth floor of a swanky Upper East Side townhouse on East 67th Street in Manhattan in December.