MANATEE COUNTY, Fla. — The Manatee County Sheriff’s Office announced on Friday that a body was discovered not far from the location where an 18-year-old named Giovanni Pelletier’s backpack was previously found.

Manatee County is near Bradenton, Florida, along Interstate 75.

The body was found in a retention pond at the southbound off-ramp of Interstate 75 and SR 70.

Manatee County Sheriff Rick Wells said the body appears to be that of a man, but the identity of the person has not been confirmed.

This comes after Gio, of North Carolina, recently disappeared while on vacation in Florida.

ABC11, our sister station in Raleigh, consulted with an FBI expert for insight into the investigation’s likely process. Retired special agent Frank Brostrom mentioned that unlike other missing persons investigations, having knowledge of Pelletier’s last known company and departure time gives investigators a significant advantage.

“Typically, in these investigations, when someone vanishes, there are no leads, making it unclear who they were last with or their last known location, forcing investigators to start from square one,” Brostrom explained.

As the cousins who accompanied Gio have already spoken to investigators, any forthcoming evidence allows for comparisons with their statements about the events that transpired.

“They’re going to do phone work on everybody involved, talk to any witnesses, and they’ve got some great leads,” he said.

On Thursday, ABC11 communicated with Gio’s stepfather, Jeremy Brown, who remarked that although there was some initial hesitation about Gio traveling to Florida with unfamiliar cousins, Gio was enthusiastic about spending time with them upon his departure.

“We had our reservations, but we trust you, we trust you’re going to look out for yourself, we trust you’re going to be safe,” Brown said.

Law enforcement experts say the part of the story from his cousins about Gio’s alleged erratic behavior isn’t adding up.

“Adding that he pulled a knife on us and then he’s the one texting help, I need help, that story’s not going to stand up,” Brostrom said.

And he says one way or another, the truth will come out.

“Their accounts are well-established, and investigators will assess these narratives against the evidence gathered, which is fundamental to basic investigative procedures,” Brostrom stated.