4 days ago
Major police update after teen vanished on holiday and sent mum chilling text
Giovanni Pelletier, 18, was found dead in a Florida pond a week after he went missing, following a family vacation during which he allegedly smoked marijuana with cousins
Police have issued a major update in the search for a missing teenage boy.
Giovanni vanished on Friday, August 1 while visiting Florida with his mother, Bridgette Pelletier, her fiancé, and his four sibling Bridgette, 34, told People that she saw chilling text messages when she woke up at around 6:20am, which read "Mom help".
A frantic search for Giovanni lasted several days with the Charlotte County Sheriff's Office explaining in a statement how a multitude of agencies were involved in the search. Officers were assisted by live-scent and cadaver K9s, Aviation units and drones.
At approximately 3:15pm local time on August 8, a family member was conducting a search when they saw what appeared to be a body partially submerged at the edge of the pond and notified police. Detectives believe the body had been in the pond for multiple days before floating to the surface.
Due to the advanced state of decomposition further forensic testing was necessary to confirm the identity..
In an update yesterday police said: "The District 12 Medical Examiner's Office has positively identified the decomposed body recovered from a retention pond on August 8 as 18-year-old Giovanni Pelletier. Identification was confirmed through dental records, and additional forensic testing was required due to the condition of his body.
"The cause of death remains undetermined pending toxicology results, which are expected to take several weeks. Detectives are actively pursuing multiple leads to learn more about the circumstances surrounding Pelletier's death. There are still no signs of foul play
"This is an ongoing death investigation, and case updates will be released at the appropriate time."
A post-mortem examination carried out by the District 12 Medical Examiner's Office showed no signs of foul play or trauma, the office stated.
A GoFundMe page was set up by his family raise money for a reward and resources for the search. It has a target of $15,000 and has already reached $23,606 in donations. The initial message on the page read: "Giovanni is smart, kind, and full of life. He didn't deserve this. Our family is devastated, terrified, and doing everything in our power to bring him home."
