— A Wake County family is desperately searching for their missing 18-year-old son, who vanished under suspicious circumstances during a trip to Florida.
Giovanni “Gio” Pelletier (right), described by loved ones as smart, kind, and full of life, disappeared in the early hours of Aug. 1 while vacationing in Englewood, Florida. His family fears foul play and says his last messages before vanishing were chilling pleas for help.
A Family Trip Turns Into a Search Mission
Pelletier, a recent Fuquay-Varina High School graduate, was visiting Florida with his mother, Bridgette, and her fiancé, Jeremy Brown. Hoping to reconnect with relatives from his biological father’s side, Pelletier arranged to meet three cousins late at night on Aug. 1 for a drive to their home in Mims, Florida.
About 20 minutes after leaving with the cousins, near Sarasota, Pelletier texted his mother: “Mom, help me.” Similar messages were sent to his grandfather and another aunt — but none were followed by further contact.
Conflicting Accounts Raise More Questions
When Pelletier’s mother saw the missed calls and messages the next morning, she immediately called the police. The cousins told investigators the group had been smoking marijuana when Pelletier began acting erratically and pulled out a knife, prompting them to leave him on the roadside…