The body of 18-year-old Giovanni Pelletier was found in a retention pond near the southbound off-ramp of Interstate 75 and State Road 70. Pelletier had been missing since last Friday while visiting Florida from North Carolina, as per FOX 13 News.
Law enforcement confirmed on Friday that the body found in a retention pond is that of the missing teen, according to WFLA. An autopsy has been scheduled to determine the cause of death, which is currently unknown.
Morgan Hull, a cousin of Pelletier, told FOX 13 News, "We just lost a beautiful, kind soul, and our pain is unbearable." The victim’s mother, Bridgette Pelletier, told QC News, "I am living every parent's worst nightmare, trying to find the strength to give him the goodbye he deserves." The Manatee County Sheriff’s Office, along with the Charlotte and Brevard County Sheriff’s Offices, are investigating Pelletier’s disappearance and death.
