Ex-officer kidnaps and kills teen walking home, Georgia police say. He’s prison-bound
An ex-police officer accused in the kidnapping and death of a Georgia teen is headed to prison.
A jury convicted Miles Bryant, 23, on murder and other charges in the killing of 16-year-old Susana Morales, the Gwinnett County District Attorney’s Office announced June 12.
The teen went missing on her way home in Norcross in July 2022, and Bryant, a then-officer with the Doraville Police Department, was accused of covering up her death.
On Wednesday, he was found guilty on charges of malice murder, felony murder, kidnapping and misdemeanor false report of a crime, prosecutors said.
A judge then sentenced Bryant to life in prison without the possibility of parole, plus 12 months, according to the district attorney’s office.
“We are profoundly sad for the Morales family,” Gwinnett County District Attorney Patsy Austin-Gatson said in a statement. “The despicable nature of the defendant’s acts is compounded by the fact that he was a police officer at the time.”
Susana was reported missing July 26, 2022, prosecutors said. She was walking home from a friend’s house in Norcross, but never arrived.
She texted her mother around 9:40 p.m. that night, and surveillance video showed her walking in the direction of her home, authorities said at the time.
Seven months later, Susana’s remains were found dumped in woods along Georgia State Route 316 in Dacula, about a 20-mile drive east, prosecutors said.
Bryant’s personal handgun was found near Susana’s body, despite him reporting the weapon stolen months earlier, according to authorities. Police traced the gun back to Bryant and used cell phone data to track his movements.
His cell phone pinged near where Susana was last seen walking and in the wooded area where her body was discovered, leading to Bryant’s arrest, prosecutors said.
“Thankfully, the overwhelming majority of law enforcement officers are highly dedicated to serving the public good every day,” Austin-Gatson said. “Thank you to GCPD for the work that made today’s verdict possible.”
Norcross is about a 20-mile drive northeast from downtown Atlanta.
This story was originally published June 13, 2024 at 12:38 PM with the headline "Ex-officer kidnaps and kills teen walking home, Georgia police say. He’s prison-bound."