Body Found in Retention Pond Believed to Be Missing Teen Giovanni Pelletier

Not yet confirmed by the medical examiner

Manatee County authorities continue to investigate after a body found in a retention pond last week is believed to be that of missing teenager Giovanni Pelletier. An autopsy was conducted Sunday, but the medical examiner has not yet confirmed the identification, citing the need for additional forensic testing due to the body’s advanced state of decomposition.

Pelletier, 18, was visiting family in Englewood when he disappeared on August 1. According to relatives, cousins had picked him up for a trip to Mims in Brevard County. Within minutes of leaving, he sent a message to his mother asking for help. Family members told deputies that Pelletier was acting erratically and exited the vehicle near Interstate 75 and State Road 70 in Manatee County.

The Manatee County Sheriff’s Office reported that a family member searching the area on Friday discovered a body floating in the pond. Deputies believe the remains had been submerged for several days, which may explain why earlier searches of the area were unsuccessful.

The nonprofit search and rescue organization We Are The Essentials, along with other volunteers, had joined efforts to locate Pelletier in the days following his disappearance. The group has paused search operations pending the medical examiner’s findings.

Preliminary results from the autopsy found no signs of trauma. The cause and manner of death remain undetermined, pending toxicology testing and further investigation.