Florida officials confirmed on Thursday that a body discovered in a pond last week is a North Carolina man who vanished almost two weeks ago.
The District 12 Medical Examiner’s Office in Manatee County identified the body found in a retention pond as 18-year-old Giovanni Pelletier, using dental records, as reported by WFTS. His remains were discovered on August 8, a week after he was last seen while traveling with his father’s cousins to Brevard County.
Pelletier, who was on vacation in Englewood with his mother’s family, had arranged for his cousins to take him to meet more relatives. The last sighting of him was in Mims, and he went missing near State Road 70 in Manatee County.
His cousins reported that he was behaving unusually in the car before suddenly leaving the vehicle. Around 20 minutes into the trip, Pelletier sent a text message to his mother saying, “Help me,” and reportedly sent similar texts to other family members.
Before his discovery, Pelletier’s backpack and phone were found in the vicinity of his last known location on August 1. Detectives suspect his body had been in the pond for several days before surfacing.
According to Manatee County police, the cause of Pelletier’s death is currently unknown as toxicology results are pending, which may take several weeks. However, authorities do not suspect foul play in his death.
No arrests have been made. An investigation is ongoing.
[Feature Photo: Handout]
