A decomposing body has been found in the search for a North Carolina teen who vanished after sending his mom an alarming text message , pleading, “Mom, help.”

The remains of Giovanni Pelletier, 18, were discovered Friday in a retention pond off I-75 in Florida, where he had traveled to connect with his estranged dad and family. His body was formally identified Saturday afternoon, according to the Manatee County Sheriff’s Office (MCSO).

The teen’s mother said she was living “every parent’s worst nightmare,” angrily noting that her son was found by a private eye in a swampy area that authorities said they’d already scoured.

“My son was recently found after a desperate search by our family alone, and we are still facing an active investigation into his death,” Bridgette Pelletier wrote o

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