BRADENTON, Fla. — Officials in Manatee County shared further insights on Tuesday regarding the case of Giovanni Pelletier, the missing 18-year-old from North Carolina whose body was recently retrieved from a retention pond in Manatee County.
Essential Information
- Giovanni Pelletier was last spotted on August 1 near Interstate 75 in Manatee County. His body was found days later in a retention pond within the same locality.
- As per the Manatee County Sheriff’s Office, Pelletier was in a vehicle with his cousin and two friends on July 31, en route to visit relatives in Brevard County.
- The investigation is ongoing while they await medical examiner results concerning the cause of death and toxicology. No foul play is currently suspected.
Giovanni Pelletier was last seen on August 1 near Interstate 75 in Manatee County. Shortly thereafter, his body was located in a retention pond in that vicinity. Investigators indicated at the time that foul play was not suspected.
The precise cause of Pelletier’s death is yet to be determined, but authorities have now disclosed new information regarding the circumstances leading up to it.
According to the sheriff’s office, on July 31, Pelletier was traveling in a car with his cousin and two friends to visit family in Brevard County.
Witness reports indicate that Pelletier had been smoking marijuana in the vehicle and was in possession of a knife.
At a certain point, Pelletier exited the car and began to run southbound on I-75, as per the investigators. That was the last sighting by witnesses.
The sheriff’s office later confirmed that traffic cameras from the Florida Department of Transportation captured Pelletier running down a hill towards the retention pond, where his body was eventually found.
Officials reiterated that there was no foul play involved and that no one was pursuing him. On August 8, a family friend discovered his body, and the following day, the Manatee County Sheriff’s Office confirmed the identity of the remains.
“There is no one in this area with Giovanni. There is no one that is chasing him. He is by himself,” Sheriff Rick Wells stated on Tuesday. “What remains unknown is what occurred when he entered that pond. I don’t have the answers, and I prefer not to speculate. The cause of death is undetermined.”
The sheriff’s office hopes this information can bring some solace to the family. The investigation continues as they await the medical examiner’s findings on the cause of death and toxicology results.
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