Overview

• Law enforcement recovered a body in a retention pond off Interstate 75 at State Road 70 on August 8 and the Manatee County Sheriff’s Office has provisionally identified it as 18-year-old Giovanni Pelletier.
• An autopsy has been scheduled and toxicology tests will be conducted to determine the cause of death.
• Detectives reported that they have found no immediate physical evidence suggesting foul play in the teenager’s death.
• Investigators are examining discrepancies between three cousins’ accounts of Giovanni’s behavior that night and the forensic findings.
• Pelletier’s family and private search teams have raised concerns about the timing and thoroughness of official searches and continue to seek clarity on his final movements.