Particle.news
Download on the App Store

Autopsy Rules Teen’s Death an Accidental Drowning in Florida Retention Pond

Investigators say evidence points to no foul play.

Overview

  • District Twelve Medical Examiner determined Giovanni Pelletier, 18, most likely drowned, and classified the manner of death as accidental.
  • The report documents markings consistent with alligator scavenging on remains recovered from a Manatee County retention pond a week after he was reported missing.
  • A forensic anthropological exam found no evidence of trauma, and sheriff’s video shows Pelletier alone descending the embankment near the pond.
  • Toxicology on liver tissue noted a small amount of ethanol that the examiner said was consistent with decomposition, while the New York Post reported no alcohol or drugs were found.
  • The autopsy also identified an extremely rare congenital coronary artery abnormality that could not be entirely ruled out as a potential contributing factor.