According to a recently published autopsy report, the body of an 18-year-old from North Carolina, Giovanni Pelletier, was both drowned and later attacked by an alligator.
Pelletier drowned in a reservoir located in Manatee County, Florida. His family last saw him on August 1, 2025, and he was reported missing shortly thereafter.
His body was discovered on August 8, with a crocodile reportedly scavenging it at the time, as detailed in the coroner’s report.
Toxicology results showed no traces of alcohol or drugs in Pelletier’s system, who was on vacation with family.
His mother, Bridget, expressed her heartbreak, noting that his body was found in an area previously searched by officials, near Interstate 75.
Initially, authorities had difficulty identifying the body due to decomposition, but they eventually confirmed it was Pelletier. The report indicated he was wearing a white T-shirt, black sweatpants, and black socks—though he wasn’t wearing shoes.
The coroner indicated that there were no additional injuries or causes of death beyond drowning. It was noted that significant decomposition had occurred during the time his body spent in the swamp.
The last time Bridget saw her son was around 1:30 a.m. on August 1. He had been with his cousins when they attempted to pick him up, as relayed in a conversation with a magazine.
In the half-hour following, Pelletier sent two text messages, one of which expressed a desperate plea to “save my mother.” He also called her at 1:56 a.m., followed by a FaceTime attempt shortly after. When there was no response, he reached out to his aunt and grandfather.
According to his cousins, there was a conflict earlier in the car involving another boy, who was smoking marijuana. Following an altercation where a knife was drawn, Pelletier exited the vehicle and ran into the darkness.
Bridget later utilized GPS data to locate his cellphone, which had been left in his backpack, abandoned along the roadside.
