A now-former Doraville police officer, who has emerged as a suspect in the death of a 16-year-old Gwinnett County girl who had been missing since July, is believed to have dumped her naked body in the woods, according to court documents obtained by The Atlanta Journal-Constitution.
Miles Bryant, 22, was arrested Monday on one count of concealing the death of another and one count of false report of a crime, Gwinnett police announced. He was fired from the Doraville Police Department the same day.
Investigators believe he is linked to the death of Susana Morales, a Meadowcreek High School student whose body was found last week near Dacula. But police have not said when or how she died.
Credit: Gwinnett County Police Department
Credit: Gwinnett County Police Department
Bryant’s bond was denied Tuesday during his first court appearance, with the judge citing investigators’ belief that he is a danger to the community.
The case has been discussed heavily on social media since her disappearance, with critics raising questions about the police department’s handling of the investigation. Her family believes quicker, more urgent action could have made a difference.
A warrant application states that Bryant “lives in close proximity to victim and dumped her naked body in the woods.” It also states that there was no known relationship between the two.
Morales was reported missing the evening of July 26 when she did not return home as expected, Gwinnett police previously said. She’d been at a friend’s house in the Norcross area and texted her mother letting her know she was walking home, but she never arrived.
In December, Morales’ mother, Maria Bran, was still hopeful her daughter was alive.
“Sweet daughter, this message is for you,” she tearfully said in Spanish in a video posted to social media. “I want to tell you that I love you. I miss you so much. Please, mamasita, I am here waiting for you with all of my heart ... Please, daughter, give me a sign of life ... Remember, I will always be here in the same house at the same address. Your room will always be waiting for you.”
The day after Morales was reported missing, Bryant allegedly filed a false report that someone broke into his vehicle and stole his gun, according to a warrant for his arrest. Police have not said how that report is connected to Morales’ disappearance and subsequent death.
Investigators first turned to the public for help in August. At the time, there was “no indication that Morales is in any specific danger, and it is not believed that she is being held against her will,” the department said in a news release.
Her family, however, did not believe that was true. Her sister, Jasmine Morales, told Univision Atlanta that Susana never went more than a few hours without at least sending a text message letting her family know she was OK.
“After a week, she would have at least communicated with her friends, her best friend or at least her boyfriend,” she told the news station in Spanish. “We don’t even know when she died. That would have changed — we would have known sooner instead of six months later. It would have made a big difference.”
The police department has defended its investigation, stating that detectives continuously worked the case and kept in constant contact with the family.
Investigators immediately canvassed several areas where Morales may have been and collected interviews and phone data, spokesperson Officer Hideshi Valle said in a statement. They also debunked multiple “ransom hoaxes from unscrupulous individuals attempting to get money from Susana’s family.”
Morales’ body was found more than 20 miles from where she was last seen. Her skeletal remains were discovered by a passerby near Drowning Creek, not far from Ga. 316, where they had been exposed to the elements for months.
“The tragic discovery of Susana’s remains ... was not the outcome anyone wanted in this case,” Valle said. “Finding out what happened is one of our top priorities. Because this is an active case, we cannot always release the exact details of the work we are doing, but that work is ongoing and will continue until this case is resolved.”
Bryant began his career in law enforcement with the Forsyth County Sheriff’s Office in March 2020, according to records kept by Georgia’s Peace Officer Standards and Training Council. He resigned from that position to join Doraville police in May 2021, where he had been employed and in good standing since.
“A now former police officer was served felony arrest warrants by the Gwinnett Police Department in connection with the disappearance and murder of Susana Morales,” Doraville police spokeswoman Emily Heenan said. “Our prayers rest with the family and friends of Susana Morales and everyone else affected by this tragedy.”
