Authorities in Florida have released new details surrounding the tragic death of 18-year-old Giovanni Pelletier, whose body was discovered in a pond one week after he went missing during a family trip. The Manatee County Sheriff’s Office shared fresh evidence this week, including video footage of the teen in his final moments, while stressing that no signs of foul play have been found.
According to Sheriff Rick Wells, Giovanni was picked up around 1:30 a.m. on August 1 by his paternal cousin and two of the cousin’s friends. Although Giovanni had spoken with his cousin by text, he had never met the two friends in person before that night. The group set off toward Brevard County, and during the ride, messages revealed Giovanni discussing smoking marijuana, mentioning that he “hadn’t had a smoke in a while because of court stuff” in North Carolina but was eager to take part.
Not long after, the three men told investigators that Giovanni began behaving erratically once they smoked in the car. They described him as “acting out and raging,” before he suddenly became agitated. Around 1:55 a.m., Giovanni sent his mother three desperate text messages in quick succession: “Help,” followed by “Help” and “Me.”
One of the friends told deputies that Giovanni declared: “I am a demon and I will wreck this car and kill you all,” while trying to open the door as the vehicle was still moving. Concerned, the group pulled over, noting that Giovanni carried a knife, . However, Sheriff Wells confirmed the blade was never drawn and remained in its sheath.
At that point, Giovanni bolted from the vehicle. Witnesses said he nearly ran into the path of an oncoming truck before disappearing into the darkness, leaving behind his backpack and phone. New surveillance video played at the press conference showed a truck swerving to avoid striking him on the highway. Additional footage from a nearby Lowe’s captured a figure—believed to be Giovanni—racing down a steep embankment in what Wells described as an “almost uncontrollable sprint.” The pond where his body would later be found lay just beyond that slope, out of the camera’s view.
“The important thing to understand is that Giovanni was alone,” Sheriff Wells told reporters. “No one was chasing him. No one was near him. When he ran down that embankment, the car was already two miles away.”
Giovanni’s backpack and phone were later recovered in Tampa after a truck driver who found them unknowingly took them from the scene. His body was ultimately discovered on August 8 by a private investigator hired by his family, per WFLA News.
The medical examiner has not yet determined a cause of death, pending toxicology results. Sheriff Wells emphasized that Giovanni showed no visible trauma; no gunshot wounds, no stabbings, no evidence of foul play. For now, his death remains classified as undetermined.
“This is a heartbreaking case,” Wells said. “What happened once Giovanni reached that pond, we simply don’t know.”