He texted his mother “help me” just 20 minutes after he left with his cousins for a three-hour drive to their home
A North Carolina teenager who had gone missing during a family vacation in Florida was found dead a week later in an artificial pond across from where his backpack and phone had been located.
Giovanni Pelletier, 18, had reportedly acted erratically after smoking marijuana with his cousins on Aug. 1, the day he disappeared. The alleged behavior was uncharacteristic of Pelletier, however, according to his aunt.
The cause of his death remains undetermined, “pending toxicology results, which are expected to take several weeks,” the Manatee County Sheriff’s Office said. It comes after an evil dad’s incest secret was hidden in a family photo before all seven were killed in a massacre.
Pelletier had traveled with his mother and her fiancé to Englewood, Florida, located south of Sarasota, to connect with relatives on his biological father’s side, according to his aunt Desiree Pelletier, who spoke to ABC.
He could not see his biological father, who is incarcerated, but instead made plans to visit three of his cousins. They picked Pelletier up at 1:30 a.m. to take him on a three-hour drive to their home in Mims, Florida, his aunt said. His mother had planned to pick him up the next day.
Less than 25 minutes into the drive, however, his mother received a text from him saying, “Help me.” According to his mother, she did not see the message until the morning.
His mother could not reach him in the morning, and immediately contacted local authorities, his aunt said. The cousins who were with Pelletier said they had smoked marijuana with him, after which he began to panic and pulled out a knife, she said.
That behavior, she said, did not align with who Pelletier is.
According to a statement from the Charlotte County Sheriff’s Office last week, the cousins said they were driving on the I-75 highway when Pelletier exited the vehicle near SR-70.
On Aug. 8, after initial search efforts appeared to be drying up, a family member discovered Pelletier’s body in a retention pond near where his belongings were found in Bradenton, Florida, his aunt said.
Extensive forensic testing revealed the body to be Pelletier’s, the Manatee County Sheriff’s told The Mirror US in a statement.
“Identification was confirmed through dental records, and additional forensic testing was required due to the condition of his body,” the sheriff’s office said.
An autopsy conducted by the District 12 Medical Examiner’s Office did not indicate foul play or trauma, the office said. “Detectives believe the body had been in the pond for multiple days before floating to the surface.”
“Detectives are actively pursuing multiple leads to learn more about the circumstances surrounding Pelletier’s death,” the sheriff’s office added. On the family’s GoFundMe page, Pelletier was described as “smart, kind and full of life.”
It comes after two DJs laughed as a young mom died in agony while drinking nearly 2 gallons of water live on air.
Sign up to our FREE newsletter and get the top stories to your inbox
DAILY NEWSLETTER: Sign up here to get the latest news and updates from the Mirror US straight to your inbox with our FREE newsletter.
Leave a Reply