Missing NC Teen Giovanni Pelletier Found Dead In A Florida Retention Pond.
The heartbreaking search for 18-year-old Giovanni Pelletier has ended in tragedy after his decomposing body was discovered in a retention pond off Interstate 75 in Florida—just miles from where his phone last pinged.
Pelletier, a recent Fuquay-Varina High School graduate from Wake County, North Carolina, vanished on August 1 while visiting Florida with his mother, Bridgette Pelletier, her fiancé, and four siblings. He had been eager to reconnect with his biological father’s side of the family, but the trip spiraled into a nightmare.
“MOM, HELP” — LAST TEXT BEFORE GIOVANNI DISAPPEARED
Bridgette told PEOPLE Magazine that her son arranged to meet three cousins from his father’s side that night. Around 1:30 a.m., they picked him up. Within 30 minutes, Giovanni sent her a chilling text: “Mom, help.” She didn’t see it until hours later, as she had fallen asleep after studying.
By morning, Bridgette tracked his location through GPS and found his phone and backpack abandoned on the roadside—items she says he would never willingly part with.
BODY FOUND NEAR WHERE HIS BELONGINGS WERE LEFT
On Friday, August 8, nearly ten days after he disappeared, We Are the Essentials, a private search group assisting the family, located a body in a retention pond at the southbound off-ramp of I-75 and State Road 70 in Manatee County. Authorities say the remains were in an advanced state of decomposition but have been preliminarily identified as Giovanni. An autopsy and toxicology report are pending, with full results expected in up to six months.
The discovery site is just minutes from where his phone last pinged and his belongings were found.
FAMILY ACCUSES COUSINS OF KNOWING MORE THAN THEY’RE SAYING
While the Charlotte County Sheriff’s Office claimed Giovanni exited the car himself and was acting “erratically,” Bridgette says that story doesn’t add up. She alleges the three cousins have not helped search and are withholding critical information.
A cousin reportedly told her Giovanni “panicked” after smoking weed and left the vehicle following a scuffle over a knife. Bridgette calls the claim “completely out of character.”
The Charlotte County Sheriff’s Office issued a statement claiming Giovanni exited the car himself near SR70 in Manatee County after acting “erratically.” But Bridgette says the three cousins have not helped in the search and are staying quiet.
GRIEVING MOTHER SPEAKS OUT
In a sorrow-filled Facebook post, Bridgette wrote:
“My son was recently found after a desperate search by OUR FAMILY ALONE… I am living every parent’s worst nightmare, trying to find the strength to give him the goodbye he deserves.”
She is now asking for privacy as the family grieves and plans Giovanni’s funeral.
REWARD & ONGOING INVESTIGATION
A $10,000 reward remains for information leading to an arrest or explaining the events that led to Giovanni’s death. Authorities have not officially declared foul play but say the investigation remains open.
Anyone with information is urged to contact the Manatee County Sheriff’s Office.
