Manatee County Sheriff Discloses Final Moments of Giovanni Pelletier

MANATEE CO., Fla. — On Aug. 19, during a news conference, the Manatee County Sheriff’s Office (MCSO) provided further insights regarding the last moments of Giovanni Pelletier.

The private investigation organization We Are The Essentials revealed that Giovanni Pelletier was last seen on Aug. 1, while he was en route with his family to Mims, Florida.

MCSO disclosed that Giovanni was engaged in a conversation about smoking weed with his cousin Latrell Hearn just hours prior to his disappearance on July 31.

WATCH: Manatee County sheriff reveals new details about Giovanni Pelletier’s last moments

Manatee County sheriff reveals new details about Giovanni Pelletier’s last moments

According to Hearn, he and Giovanni began smoking in the car while their friend, Zach Cummings, drove. Giovanni allegedly started causing a disturbance, which prompted Hearn and Cummings to stop at River Road for him to use the restroom.

Afterward, as they drove on I-75, around 1:55 a.m., Giovanni texted his mother saying “help” followed by another urgent text, “help me.” Cummings, reacting to reports of a knife, pulled over once more, leading Giovanni to exit the car and run across the highway, nearly getting struck by a vehicle.

This was reportedly the last sighting of Giovanni. Cummings noted that Giovanni left his backpack behind, which was subsequently discarded by Cummings on the roadside.

Hearn informed his grandfather and attempted to reach Giovanni’s mother, Bridget. Although she didn’t initially answer, they later spoke, after which she contacted MCSO to report Giovanni missing.

MCSO conducted extensive searches for several days but failed to find any trace of Giovanni or useful information regarding his whereabouts.

On August 8, authorities located Pelletier’s body in a retention pond about half a mile away in Bradenton along I-75.

MCSO released video footage from FDOT and Lowe’s security cameras that illustrated Giovanni’s movements following his exit from the vehicle. At 2:18 a.m., he was seen running across the interstate toward the retention pond, with further footage showing him heading down a hill into the water.

MCSO clarified that no one was pursuing Giovanni at the time and that the vehicle was last noted at least two miles away from where he was last seen running.

Investigators are currently awaiting the toxicology report regarding Pelletier’s death.

Key Information

• Incident Date: August 1, Giovanni Pelletier went missing.
• Disappearance Context: Last seen while traveling to Mims, Florida, with family.
• Last Communication: Sent “help” texts to his mother shortly before fleeing the vehicle.
• Body Found: August 8, in a retention pond near I-75.
• Toxicology Report: Pending further investigation into the cause of death.