Police have charged a former Georgia police officer with concealing the death of a 16-year-old girl who has been missing for more than six months. Miles Bryant, 22, who worked for the Doraville Police Department until his arrest, was charged in connection with the death of Susana Morales after her remains were found last week. She was last seen alive in July.
The Gwinnett Police Department made the Doraville Police Department aware of the arrest and opened a criminal investigation, according to the New York Post. Gwinnett police detectives are working to identify what happened to Morales and whether she knew Bryant before her death, WSB-TV reported. Bryant has been charged with false report of a crime and concealing the death of another.
The teen last contacted her family in July.
Police began looking for Morales when she was reported missing on July 26, 2022, the Post reported. She had last contacted her mother via text message at 9:40 p.m. to let her know she was on her way home.
Police used a cellphone app to confirm her location and that she was walking home between 10:07 p.m. and 10:21 p.m. The last time her cellphone pinged was at 10:26 p.m. before it either died or was turned off, the news outlet reported.
Police initially thought Morales was a runaway.
Early in the investigation, police believed Morales had run away from home. According to 11 Alive, police did not think she was in danger and there was no sign of abduction or physical assault. When Morales was still unaccounted for a month later, police asked the public for help finding the teen.
Morales' family never believed she ran away.
In August, Morales' family spoke with 11 Alive and said they did not believe she ran away. Her sister, Jasmine Morales, told the news outlet that "something happened" to her sister on her walk home.
"My sister, she will never do that to us. Never. She has never done this. She has never left the house," Jasmine Morales explained. "She would always answer our call and let us know where she is. If she's coming home, when she's coming home, this never happens."
At the time, a representative from the Gwinnett Police Department told 11 Alive that "regardless of whether a missing person is considered a runaway or not our detectives still follow up on every case and work every lead."
Morales' body was found in a wooded area.
On February 6, police went to the area between Drowning Creek and Barrow County after a passerby reported finding human remains in the forest, the Post reported. The Gwinnett County Medical Examiners' Office tested the remains and matched Morales' DNA to her dental records.
The City of Doraville released a statement this week regarding Bryant's arrest.
"The City of Doraville was notified the afternoon of Monday, February 13 that a now former police officer was being served felony arrest warrants by the Gwinnett Police Department in connection with the disappearance and murder of Susana Morales," the statement read, according to the Post. "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."
Morales' family launched a GoFundMe page in 2022 to aid in a private investigation.
Jasmine Morales created the fundraiser, which has raised nearly $24,000. Initially, funds were reportedly intended to help with a private investigation into her disappearance but now will likely help with final expenses, 11 Alive reported.
Kevin Wood, principal at Meadowcreek High School where Morales attended, is mourning her death and sent out a message to school families on Monday.
"One of the things I value about our school community is it is close, caring, and supportive. Qualities we need at this time," he wrote, according to 11 Alive. "This sad news, coupled with the way some learned about it, may raise many emotions, concerns, and questions from our school community, especially from some students."
Counselors were available on campus for anyone who needed additional support.
Bryant was being held in the Gwinnett Detention Center without bond. The investigation is ongoing.
