MANATEE COUNTY, Fla. – The Manatee County Sheriff’s Office has “preliminarily determined” that a body found on Friday belongs to 18-year-old Giovanni Pelletier, who went missing from Charlotte County last week, per a news release.
Deputies made this determination based on evidence collected at the scene.
The decomposed body was discovered in a retention pond near the southbound off-ramp of Interstate 75 and State Road 70.
According to the release, the discovery was made when a family member, while conducting a search, spotted what appeared to be a body partially submerged at the edge of the pond and alerted law enforcement.
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On Monday, the Charlotte County Sheriff’s Office announced their search for Pelletier, who was last seen in Manatee County on Friday, August 1.
Giovanni Pelletier was on vacation with family in Englewood before departing around 1:30 a.m. to visit relatives in Brevard County.
While traveling north on I-75 with his cousins, Pelletier began to act erratically and exited the vehicle near State Road 70 in Manatee County.
On Friday, Brevard County Sheriff Wayne Ivey addressed questions regarding the agency’s involvement in the search for Pelletier.
Sheriff Ivey clarified that the only connection to Brevard County is that three individuals who were with Pelletier are from there.
However, he confirmed that there is no evidence that Pelletier ever reached Brevard County.
The Manatee County Sheriff’s Office reported that a positive identification of the body is pending. An autopsy was scheduled for Sunday.
On Sunday, officials stated that the District 12 Medical Examiner’s Office had not yet made a positive identification due to the advanced decomposition of the body, requiring further forensic testing.
The medical examiner’s findings indicated no signs of foul play or trauma, but the cause of death remains undetermined.
Investigators believe that the body had been in the pond for several days before surfacing.
The investigation remains ongoing.
Key Information
- Victim: Giovanni Pelletier, 18
- Location of Body: Retention pond near I-75 and State Road 70
- Date Found: Body discovered on Friday
- Last Seen: August 1 in Manatee County
- Cause of Death: Pending (no foul play acknowledged)
- Investigation Status: Ongoing
Article original publish date: 2025-08-09 07:00:00
Article source: www.clickorlando.com
Read the full story at the original source: www.clickorlando.com
