Ex-GA Cop Sentenced To Prison In Teen's Killing, Kidnapping: D.A.

LAWRENCEVILLE, GA — Former Doraville police officer Miles Bryant was sentenced Wednesday to life in prison in the killing and kidnapping of Norcross teen Susana Morales, the Gwinnett County District Attorney's Office said in a news release.

Bryant, accused of killing and dumping Morales' body in a Dacula woodline in July 2022, was convicted Wednesday of multiple charges, the district attorney's office said. He was accused of kidnapping the 16-year-old girl as she walked home.

The district attorney's office said Bryant, 23, was convicted of malice murder, felony murder, kidnapping and misdemeanor false report of a crime. Gwinnett County Superior Court Judge Tamela Adkins sentenced Bryant to life in prison without the possibility of parole plus 12 months, the district attorney's office said.

“We are profoundly sad for the Morales family,” Gwinnett County District Attorney Patsy Austin-Gatson said in the release. “The despicable nature of the defendant’s acts is compounded by the fact that he was a police officer at the time. Thankfully, the overwhelming majority of law enforcement officers are highly dedicated to serving the public good every day. Thank you to GCPD for the work that made today’s verdict possible.”

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Morales disappeared the night of July 26, 2022 while she was walking home from a friend's Norcross apartment. She was reported missing from her Santa Anna Drive home at 9 a.m. the next day, authorities said in the past.

Seven months later, the district attorney's office said Morales' body was found decomposed in a wooded area in Dacula near Georgia State Route 316.

Bryant lived and worked as a security officer in the apartment complex where Morales' friend lived, authorities said in the past.

During the investigation, a handgun was found on Feb. 7. Authorities said Bryant reported the handgun stolen the day Morales was reported missing, adding that the report was false.

The district attorney's office said the gun was Bryant's personal weapon and was found near the scene where Morales' body was located.

The gun was traced back to Bryant, and he became a person of interest in the case, authorities said in the past.

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Bryant's movements were traced using cell phone tower mapping, the district attorney's office said. Location data showed Bryant’s personal and work cell phones near the site where Morales was last seen walking home and in the woods near S.R. 316 where her remains were uncovered, the district attorney's office said.

Warrants for Bryant's arrest were obtained on Feb. 13, 2023, authorities said in the past.

"This is an unspeakable tragedy. This type of crime at the hand of a law-enforcement officer evokes anger, even within the ranks of this agency," Gwinnett County Police Chief James D. McClure said at a February 2023 news conference.

"Police officers should always be pillars of trust, and I do believe that the overwhelming majority of the hundreds of thousands of law-enforcement officers in this community are honorable and decent human beings. It's a shame that Miles was able to get in the ranks of law-enforcement, but I am happy with the department's response in terms of bringing him to justice."