New Video Shows Some of Missing Teen’s Final Moments, Sprinting Away Though ‘There’s No One Chasing Him’

Florida authorities have released new information about the mysterious death of 18-year-old Giovanni Pelletier, a North Carolina teen who went missing earlier this month while visiting relatives. His body was discovered days later in a Florida pond.

At a press conference on Tuesday, Aug. 19, officials said surveillance footage showed Giovanni running down a steep embankment near the pond where his body was later found. Investigators emphasized they do not believe foul play was involved.

Giovanni had traveled from Raleigh to Florida in late July with his mother, Bridgette Pelletier, her fiancé, Jeremy Brown, and his four siblings. Bridgette told PEOPLE that her son had planned to reconnect with paternal relatives during the visit.

According to Manatee County Sheriff Rick Wells, Giovanni was picked up around 1:30 a.m. on Friday, Aug. 1, in Englewood by a paternal cousin and two friends. They planned to drive him to Brevard County. (Authorities initially believed all three individuals were cousins.)

During the press conference, video footage showed Giovanni sprinting uncontrollably down the embankment toward the retention pond. “The important thing that I want you to see — there’s no one chasing him. There’s no one around him,” Wells said. “He’s by himself. And what we don’t know is what happened when he hit that pond.”

Wells explained that the car Giovanni had been traveling in was located about two miles away at the time. The three individuals who had been with him cooperated with investigators and allowed authorities to search their vehicle.

An autopsy found no signs of foul play or trauma, such as gunshot or stab wounds. The exact cause of death is pending toxicology results.

Because of the condition of Giovanni’s body when it was recovered, he had to be identified through dental records, his mother told PEOPLE.

Bridgette shared that Giovanni twice texted and called her shortly after being picked up, but she was asleep and did not see the messages until later that morning. Both texts included the word “help.”

She also said Giovanni’s paternal grandfather left her a voicemail claiming there had been an altercation, and that Giovanni had been left on the side of the road in Bradenton. When Bridgette spoke to the cousin, he said Giovanni had smoked marijuana, panicked, and eventually pulled a knife before running away.

Bridgette has strongly rejected this account, insisting the behavior was out of character for her son.

Sheriff Wells said one of the men told investigators that Giovanni became erratic after smoking and tried to call his mother. Later, while they were on Interstate 75, Giovanni allegedly said, “I am a demon” and “I will wreck this car.”

According to their account, Giovanni threatened them with a knife and fled onto I-75, discarding his backpack and phone. They claimed he nearly got hit by a truck before disappearing.

One of the men notified Giovanni’s grandfather, then attempted to call Bridgette. Later, Giovanni’s backpack and phone were tracked to Tampa after a truck driver picked them up. Tampa police recovered the items after Bridgette reported their location.

Bridgette called 911 around 6:50 a.m. to request a wellness check. By 9:30 a.m., the Charlotte County Sheriff’s Office had opened a missing person’s case and coordinated with Brevard County deputies to interview the individuals involved.

Despite official searches, Giovanni was not found until a week later, when a family friend discovered his body in the pond.