Body of missing North Carolina teen Giovanni Pelletier found in Florida retention pond, family confirms

After more than a week of searching, the body of Giovanni Pelletier, 18, has been found in Florida, family members confirmed Saturday.

North Carolina teen Giovanni Pelletier found

On Friday evening, the Manatee County Sheriff’s Office (MCSO) reported a body had been discovered in a retention pond near Interstate 75 and State Road 70. The location is close to where Giovanni’s backpack and phone were previously found.

Initially, officials did not confirm the identity. However, by Saturday evening, MCSO verified the body belonged to Giovanni Pelletier.

His cousin, Morgan Hull, first confirmed the news to FOX 35 and on Facebook. “Our family, with our own hands and shattered hearts, found his body,” Hull wrote. “We just lost a beautiful, kind soul, and our pain is unbearable.”

She urged the public to show compassion. “Have some humanity. Have some respect,” she added.

Authorities have not released Giovanni’s cause of death. An autopsy is scheduled for Sunday. Positive identification is pending further testing.

Timeline of Giovanni’s Disappearance

Giovanni vanished early August 1 while visiting family in Englewood, Florida. He had traveled from North Carolina with his mother, Bridgette Pelletier, her fiancé Jeremy Brown, and four siblings.

The family planned to support a relative undergoing chemotherapy. Giovanni also hoped to reconnect with his biological father’s family, whom he hadn’t seen since age 4.

Bridgette supported his decision. “He was craving the culture and background from his dad’s side,” she told PEOPLE. “I wanted him to have that opportunity.”

Before leaving, Giovanni joined a group chat with paternal relatives. He arranged for three cousins to pick him up around 1:30 a.m. on August 1.

Bridgette was asleep. Brown saw Giovanni off when the cousins arrived.

Within 30 minutes, Giovanni texted Bridgette twice. One message said, “Mom help.” He also called her at 1:56 a.m. and FaceTimed a minute later. When she didn’t answer, he texted her sister and father.

Bridgette didn’t see the messages until 6:20 a.m. She also missed a call from one of the cousins—placed nearly an hour after pickup.

“No one came back to the house. No one tried to help,” she said tearfully.

Later that morning, Giovanni’s paternal grandfather left a voicemail. He said there had been an altercation and that Giovanni was left on the roadside in Bradenton.

Bridgette used Giovanni’s phone GPS to search for him. She found his backpack and phone abandoned.

“He wouldn’t leave that,” she said. “My son breathes his phone.”

Eventually, she reached one of the cousins. He claimed they smoked marijuana with Giovanni, who then panicked and cursed. A confrontation followed, and Giovanni allegedly pulled a knife.

“They said he ran off,” Bridgette recalled. “But that’s not like him.”

Conflicting Accounts and Frustration

The Charlotte County Sheriff’s Office released a different account. They said Giovanni exited the vehicle near SR70 in Manatee County after acting erratically.

Bridgette believes the cousins know more than they’ve shared. She said none have helped with the search or contacted her since.

“Not one of them has asked if I found him,” she said. “They haven’t asked if he’s okay.”

She’s also frustrated with law enforcement’s response. She believes Giovanni’s age affected the urgency.

“If he were younger, they’d be doing more,” she said.

Giovanni was the eldest of five children. Bridgette described him as a protector, especially to his younger brother with autism.

“He has a heart of gold,” she said. “He impacts everyone he meets.”

Giovanni Pelletier found: Community support and next steps

A $10,000 reward had been offered for information leading to Giovanni’s whereabouts or an arrest. A GoFundMe campaign was launched to support search efforts.

“My son knows my number by heart,” Bridgette said. “He wouldn’t run away and text me ‘help.’ He knows I’d burn the world down to find him.”

Authorities continue investigating. Anyone with information is urged to contact Charlotte County officials or the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children.

To support the GoFundMe campaign, visit Giovanni’s fundraiser page.