Eighteen-year-old Giovanni Pelletier traveled from North Carolina to Florida in late July to visit relatives and reconnect with his father’s side of the family. On August 1, around 1:30 a.m., he left with three cousins. Within 30 minutes, he sent his mother two messages, including “Mom, help,” and tried to call her several times. Later that morning, a relative told her there had been an altercation and the cousins had left Giovanni on the side of the road in Bradenton.

Using GPS data, Giovanni’s mother, Bridgette, found his phone and backpack abandoned on the roadside. A cousin claimed they had smoked marijuana, that Giovanni panicked, and eventually ran off, but Bridgette believes more happened. The family launched a GoFundMe to fund their independent search, saying official help was limited and calling the circumstances “deeply troubling and suspicious.”

On August 9, after a week-long search, Bridgette announced Giovanni had been found dead. His body was recovered near the same area authorities had searched on day one — a retention pond off I-75 in Manatee County — by a private investigation team hired by the family. The sheriff’s office reported no immediate signs of foul play, and toxicology results are pending.

In his hometown of Fuquay-Varina, NC, neighbors and friends described Giovanni as kind, loving, and deeply connected to his mother. His girlfriend of over three years shared an emotional tribute, calling him protective and supportive. The family remains heartbroken, still seeking answers about what happened that night.