In the early morning hours of March 5, 2024, a devastating event occurred in the Chelsea area of New York City, New York. Jon Medwick, a 62-year-old cartoonist, took his own life by jumping from the 15th floor of his co-op apartment located at 300 W. 23rd Street. His 45-year-old girlfriend made an unsuccessful attempt to prevent the tragedy.
The situation had escalated quickly in the morning when Medwick’s girlfriend found him standing perilously near the window upon waking. Despite her attempts to pull him back, he slipped from her reach. After a distressing 911 call, police and emergency services arrived at the scene around 5:45 a.m., only to confirm the tragic event.
A resident of the building said, “Seeing the coroner arrive, along with a body bag and an ambulance, I knew something had happened.” He continued, “His apartment is located towards the back of the building. According to reports, he jumped from his apartment window.”
The police reported that at the time of his fatal leap, Medwick, who took private commissions and freelanced as a copywriter, was suffering from depression.
Another resident indicated that Medwick’s girlfriend was severely distressed as she was taken to the hospital after the incident. “She seemed extremely troubled and complained of leg pain… We’re not sure if it was a result of stress. EMS attended to her,” the resident noted.
An individual from the building revealed to media outlets that Medwick had been living with his girlfriend since just before the COVID-19 pandemic started and his brother visited frequently. They said, “He was talented in cartooning. He once created a drawing for me, which was quite impressive.”
Medwick, who also had a job at WebMD, was not just a resident; he was an integral member of the Chelsea community. He served on the co-op board of his building and was known to his neighbors as a “very nice” and “sociable” person. He bought the Chelsea apartment in 2012 for $1.45 million.
His Instagram account featured beautiful photos of Manhattan sunsets, presumably captured from his high-rise residence, demonstrating a deep love for the city he called home. Despite his outgoing nature, Medwick was grappling with depression, a struggle known to his close circle.
Medwick is the most recently publicized New Yorker to leap to their death from a high-rise apartment window in recent months.
In February, a man fell to his death from a high-rise in the Financial District of Manhattan. The incident took place at 19 Dutch Street at Fulton Street, a luxury building where rents can exceed $10,000 a month.
In December, a 56-year-old man jumped to his death from the fourth floor of a luxury townhouse on East 67th Street in Manhattan’s Upper East Side.
