Who was Susana Morales? Doroville cop Miles Bryant arrested for covering up missing teen's death
GWINETT COUNTY, GEORGIA: A police officer was detained for allegedly covering up the death of a young girl from Georgia who went missing months prior to her being murdered and dumped in the woods. The search for 16-year-old Susana Morales, who was last seen by her family on July 26, 2022, came to a heartbreaking conclusion this week when her body was discovered in the woods. Miles Bryant, a 22-year-old officer with the Doraville Police Department in Norcross, was charged with covering up the teen's murder, on Monday, February 14.
"Detectives developed enough probable cause to get an arrest today, but the investigation is still ongoing," said Gwinnett County Police spokesperson Officer Hideshi Valle. "This is a very tragic incident and not just for our community, but the law enforcement community as well."
Valle added, "Gwinnett Police is determined to get all of the facts and all of the information to get justice regardless of who the individual is."
Bryant is accused of covering up the death and filing a fake report of a crime, The US Sun reported.
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Who was Susane Morales?
Susana Morales, 16, a student at Meadowcreek High School in Norcross, Georgia was first reported missing over the summer. On February 6, police discovered Morales' remains in the forest between Drowning Creek and Barrow County. The Gwinnett Medical Examiners' office reported that the DNA of the remains was consistent with the girl's dental records. The now-former cop was arrested "in connection with the disappearance and murder of Susana Morales," according to the City of Doraville. They added, "The City of Doraville and its Police Department are fully cooperating with the Gwinnett Police Department in its investigation of Mr. Bryant. "Our prayers rest with the family and friends of Susana Morales and everyone else affected by this tragedy."
She never came back
Susana was last seen by her family walking from her home to a friend's residence around 6 pm. According to authorities, Morales contacted her mother to let her know she was heading to her Gwinnett County home at 9:40 pm on the night she went missing. Records from Susana's phone showed that between 10:07 and 10:21 pm, she was heading in that direction. Police think she may have gotten into a car at some time. Later, her phone died or was switched off and she never came back home. Susana's body was discovered this past Monday when a bystander in Gwinnett County, Georgia, called the police to report finding some remains in the woods. "It does look like she has been there for some period of time,” Gwinnett County Police stated.