The body of an 18-year-old North Carolina teenager who disappeared after sending his mother a desperate final message pleading for help has been discovered in a retention pond in Florida.
Giovanni Pelletier was found near Interstate 75 in Manatee County on Friday, close to where he had travelled to visit his estranged father's family, according to the Manatee County Sheriff's Office. Detectives have preliminarily identified the body as Pelletier, pending further testing, with an autopsy scheduled and an ongoing death investigation.
The teen's mother, Bridgette Pelletier, described the discovery as “every parent’s worst nightmare” on Facebook. She stated that her son was found by her family, not by authorities, and that they are now facing an active investigation into his death.
Giovanni had been unable to meet his incarcerated father but had planned to meet three cousins for the first time, his aunt Desiree Pelletier told ABC News. The cousins picked him up on 1 August for a three-hour drive to their home in Mims, Florida. However, about 25 minutes into the journey, he texted his mother saying, “Help me,” and sent similar messages to his grandfather and another aunt.
According to the Charlotte County Sheriff's Office, the cousins reported that Giovanni began acting erratically before exiting the vehicle on I-75 near State Road 70. His backpack and mobile phone were later found on the roadside by a truck driver that same day.
In an update to a GoFundMe page set up to hire a private investigator, Bridgette Pelletier said the funds would now be used for funeral, medical and legal costs as the family struggles to honour his memory through unimaginable heartbreak.
