Authorities have revealed that a decomposing body has been discovered in the search for a North Carolina teen who went missing after he sent his mom an alarming text message, pleading for help.
On Friday, the remains of Giovanni Pelletier, 18, were found in a retention pond off I-75 in Florida, where he had traveled to connect with his estranged dad and family.
It was Saturday afternoon that his body was formally identified, said the Manatee County Sheriff’s Office (MCSO).
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According to the boy’s mother, she was living “every parent’s worst nightmare,” as her son was found by a private eye in a swampy area that police said they’d already scoured.
“My son was recently found after a desperate search by our family alone, and we are still facing an active investigation into his death,” Bridgette Pelletier wrote on Facebook.
“I am living every parent’s worst nightmare, trying to find the strength to give him the goodbye he deserves.”
Initially, authorities searched the swampy area close to the southbound off-ramp near State Road 70 where the teenager’s body was found not long after he went missing on August 1.
However, his body was ultimately discovered by a private investigation group hired by the family.
According to MCSO, detectives have “preliminarily determined” the body to be that of the missing Pelletier, pending further testing, and an autopsy is reportedly scheduled for Sunday.
Pelletier was vacationing with his mother and other relatives in Englewood before he was picked up by three cousins at around 1:30 on August 1 to visit his father’s family in Brevard County.
During their trip, the cousins alleged that the missing North Carolina teen began acting erratically before they pulled over to the side of the road, and he pulled out a knife, the Charlotte County Sheriff’s Office said.
He sent two texts to his mother at this time, including one begging her, “Mom help,” and tried calling and Face Timing her, before he reached out to other relatives for help.
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The backpack and phone of Pelletier were found by the side of the road later on August 1.
