Officer Accused of Concealing the Death of 16-Year-Old Susana Morales
Six months after her disappearance in July 2022, a Doraville resident found the remains of 16-year-old Susana Morales. The search for Morales began immediately after her disappearance in July. However, local authorities treated the case as a runaway incident while the family struggled to get media attention.
Susana Morales disappears in July 2022
On the night of her disappearance, Morales told her mom she was on the way home just before 10 PM. By 10:26 PM, her phone was no longer pinging and her family could not track down her location. The passerby who discovered Morales’ remains found her just 20 miles from where she disappeared.
Morales’ last text to her mother came at 9:40 PM, when she was walking home. Authorities confirmed Morales’ location between then and approximately 10:21 PM. Her phone’s last ping came just five minutes later.
Local police arrested another Doraville officer, 22-year-old Miles Bryant, in connection with the case. Bryant currently faces charges for concealing Morales’ death and falsely reporting a crime. Doraville immediately terminated Bryant, who is being held without bail by the neighboring Gwinnett County Police Department.
Local PDs accuse Miles Bryant of concealing Morales’ death
According to 11 Alive, local authorities believe Bryant had some involvement in Morales’ disappearance. After his arrest, new information about the case came to light. Bryant lives in the same area where Morales first went missing. They believe he disposed of Morales’ naked body in the woods.
Additionally, Bryant falsely reported someone broke into his car and stole his weapon just one day after Morales disappeared. He may also have a prior criminal record, although local police say this is a formality when investigating homicides with no known cause of death.
In an interview with WSB, Susana’s sister Jasmine said, “I was shocked. I had to process it for a second. I was just like what? That explains why it took so long for us to have an answer.” She added, “It’s a police officer. I’m guessing they know how to cover their tracks.”
However, neither police department involved with the investigation believes Bryant and Morales knew each other prior to the murder. Despite this, Susana’s family is still looking for answers. “We are just hoping everything will come to light soon. We will finally have the closure and justice that she deserves,” Jasmine said.
