Teenager who went missing after going on vacation found dead

A  teenager who vanished while on vacation in Florida, United States, has been found dead, authorities confirmed Thursday.

Giovanni Pelletier, 18, from North Carolina disappeared in the early hours of August 1 “under deeply troubling and suspicious circumstances,” according to a GoFundMe page created by his family.

Pelletier had traveled to Englewood, Florida, with his mother and her fiancé to reconnect with relatives from his father’s side of the family, said Desiree Pelletier, his aunt and sister of his mother. Though Giovanni could not visit his incarcerated father, he arranged to meet three cousins during his stay.

With only days left before returning home, the cousins picked him up around 1:30 a.m. on Aug. 1 for a three-hour drive to Mims, Florida, Desiree Pelletier said. His mother planned to retrieve him the following day. But less than half an hour later, Giovanni texted his mother a chilling message: “Help me,” according to his aunt.

READ ALSO:How traffic jam saved Ahmedabad woman from deadly Air India plane crash

That was the last contact his mother ever received.

On August 8 — exactly one week after Giovanni vanished — a family member discovered his body in a retention pond in Bradenton, across the street from where his backpack and phone had been recovered, Desiree Pelletier confirmed to ABC News.

The Manatee County Sheriff’s Office said Giovanni’s identity was confirmed through dental records, with additional forensic testing required due to the condition of his body. Investigators have not determined a cause of death, pending toxicology results expected in several weeks.

“Detectives are actively pursuing multiple leads to learn more about the circumstances surrounding Pelletier’s death. There are still no signs of foul play,” the sheriff’s office said in a statement.

Desiree Pelletier said her sister, Giovanni’s mother, “is broken” by the news.

During a Tuesday press conference, the family said they were “devastated” and had been “hoping for a better outcome.” They have also hired an attorney to assist with the case.

Authorities said Giovanni’s cousins told investigators the group had smoked marijuana and that Giovanni began to panic and pulled out a knife. “That alleged behavior is not Gio,” his aunt said. “It does not align with who he is.”

According to the Charlotte County Sheriff’s Office, the cousins claimed Giovanni began acting erratically before exiting the vehicle on I-75 near State Road 70. Officials said the three young men have cooperated fully with the investigation, and the car they used during the trip has been seized by police.

The investigation into Giovanni Pelletier’s death remains ongoing.

(ABC NEWS)