An 18-year-old from North Carolina who had beenmissing for one weekafter vacationing with relatives in Florida has been found dead, according to officials. Giovanni Pelletier, an 18-year-old who was described as "smart, kind and full of life," disappeared early on Aug. 1 "under deeply troubling and suspicious circumstances," according to the family's GoFundMe page. Pelletier was visiting Englewood, Florida, with his mother and her fiancé and wanted to reconnect with relatives from his biological father's family, Desiree Pelletier, who is Giovanni's aunt and sister of his mother, told ABC News. While he was unable to see his father, who is incarcerated, he made plans to see three of his cousins on that side of the family, his aunt said. With only a few days left in his vacation, Pelletier's cousins picked him up at approximately 1:30 a.m. on Aug. 1 to take him on the three-hour drive to their house in Mims, Florida, his aunt said. His mother was planning on picking him up the next day, according to Desiree Pelletier. But within 25 minutes of leaving, he sent his mom a text: "Help me," his aunt said. That was the last time his mother heard from him, according to his aunt. A family member found Pelletier's body on Aug. 8 in a retention pond across the street from where his backpack and phone were located in Bradenton, Florida, his aunt confirmed to ABC News on Sunday. The teen's body was found exactly one week after he disappeared, his aunt said. After extensive forensic testing, the Manatee County Sheriff's Office confirmed to ABC News on Thursday that the body found in the pond was identified to be Pelletier. Identification of the body was confirmed through dental records, and "additional forensic testing was required due to the condition of his body," the sheriff's office said. The cause of death remains undetermined "pending toxicology results, which are expected to take several weeks," the sheriff's office said. "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. Desiree Pelletier said her sister, the teen's mother, "is broken" by the news of her son's death. MORE: Body identified as California teen reported missing days ago During a press conference with the family on Tuesday, they said they are "devastated" and had been "hoping for a better outcome." The family also said they are hiring an attorney to help with the case. The day the teenager disappeared, his mother could not get a hold of him and immediately contacted authorities, Desiree Pelletier said. The teen's mother also reached out to the cousins who were with Pelletier, who said the group had been smoking marijuana, which is when the 18-year-old began to panic and pull out a knife, Pelletier's aunt noted. But his aunt said that alleged behavior "is not Gio" and that it does "not align" with who he is. The cousins also told police that Pelletier "began to act erratically before exiting the vehicle," according to a statement from theCharlotte County Sheriff's Officelast week. The cousins claimed they were driving on I-75 when Pelletier got out near SR-70, authorities said. On Friday, theBrevard County Sheriff's Officesaid the cousins had been interviewed by officials and "continue to be fully cooperative in all aspects of the investigation." Officials also said they "took in the vehicle that the three young men were driving at the time they traveled to the West Coast of Florida."
