The body of 18-year-old Giovanni Pelletier, a North Carolina teen who went missing in Florida, was found last week.
His mother, Bridgette Pelletier, had received a text, saying, “Mom, help” from her son before he went missing.
She says she is living “every parent’s worst nightmare.”
The body of North Carolina teen Giovanni Pelletier was reportedly found in a retention pond
Highlights
- Giovanni Pelletier’s body was found in a Florida retention pond after he went missing following a troubling 'Mom, help' text.
- Giovanni’s autopsy found no foul play, but toxicology tests are pending to determine the cause of death.
- Giovanni disappeared after being picked up by cousins; he reportedly acted erratically and pulled a knife during the trip.
Image credits: Desiree Pelletier/GoFundMe
Giovanni vanished on August 1 while visiting Florida.
His body was found in a retention pond near I-75 in Florida on Friday. He had traveled close to this area on a trip with his mother and her fiancé, and had planned to visit his estranged father’s family, the Manatee County Sheriff’s Office said in a statement.
Pelletier’s body was formally identified on Saturday afternoon. Detectives believe that it had been submerged before floating to the surface.
A Sunday autopsy concluded that “no foul play or trauma was found,” the statement noted, according to The News & Observer.
However, due to the condition of the body, more forensic tests will be needed. The autopsy report noted that toxicology testing could deliver insight into the cause of death.
Pelletier, 18, was unable to meet his father, who is currently incarcerated, but he had plans to see his three cousins for the first time.
Giovanni’s aunt, Desiree Pelletier, said that three young men, supposedly his cousins, picked him up at approximately 1:30 a.m. on August 1 to take him on a three-hour drive to their house in Mims, Florida.
Image credits: Desiree Pelletier/GoFundMe
About 25 minutes into the trip, he sent his mother a text asking for her help. He also tried calling and FaceTiming her. Then, he reached out to his grandfather and his other aunt, also asking them for help.
ABC 11 reported that Giovanni’s family was told he was dropped off in Bradenton, Florida, which is in Manatee County.
Brevard County Sheriff Wayne Ivey said at a press conference Friday that his department had spoken with the three who had picked him up in Charlotte County, and they said he had acted “kind of out of control.”
According to the Charlotte County Sheriff’s Office, the cousins claimed that Pelletier was behaving erratically before they pulled over to the side of the road. Pelletier then allegedly pulled out a knife.
His backpack and phone were found on the same day as the trip by a truck driver on the side of Interstate 75 near State Road 70.
Bridgette Pelletier wrote on Facebook that the discovery was made by the family and not the police.
Pelletier went missing after his cousins gave him a ride
Image credits: Bridgette Pelletier/Facebook
“My son was recently found after a desperate search by OUR FAMILY ALONE, and we are still facing an active investigation into his death,” she said.
“I am living every parent’s worst nightmare, trying to find the strength to give him the goodbye he deserves.”
“We ask that you please respect our privacy at this time as we try to navigate this for his 4 younger siblings.”
In another post, Bridgette asked people to “stop spreading lies” about who found her son’s body.
“THE POLICE DIDN’T FIND MY BABY. THE INVESTIGATORS DIDN’T FIND MY BABY. THE DOGS DIDN’T. THE HELICOPTERS DIDN’T. STOP. SPREADING. LIES. YOU. HAVE. NO. IDEA. WE FOUND MY BABY. AND I WILL NEVER EVER BE THE SAME,” she wrote.
Giovanni’s cousin, Morgan Hull, who had been posting updates during the search, confirmed the family’s account.
“No—the police did not find him. Our family, with our own hands and shattered hearts, found his body,” Hull wrote.
Image credits: Desiree Pelletier/GoFundMe
The family hired a private investigator during the search. A GoFundMe page originally set up for investigative expenses will now be used for funeral, medical, and legal costs as they “struggle to honor [Giovanni’s] memory through this unimaginable heartbreak.”
The case has drawn attention both for the circumstances of Giovanni’s disappearance and for his mother’s insistence on clarifying who found him.
Officials are currently awaiting the final autopsy results.