LAWRENCEVILLE, Ga. (TCN) — A 23-year-old former police officer has been sentenced to life in prison for kidnapping and murdering a 16-year-old girl as she walked home in 2022.
The Gwinnett County District Attorney's Office announced June 13 that Myles Bryant was found guilty of malice murder, felonious assault, kidnapping and false reporting of a crime in connection with the death of Susanna Morales. The judge later sentenced him to life in prison without parole plus an additional 12 months.
Morales was last seen leaving his home around 6 p.m. on July 26, 2022, walking to a friend's house. At approximately 9:40 p.m., Morales texted his mother to say he was going to her house, but she still did not return until 10 p.m. Her cell phone data showed her mother's location until approximately 10:26 p.m., after which her mother's cell phone turned off or turned off. .
On February 6, 2023, someone called Gwinnett County police saying they had found what appeared to be human remains in a wooded area near the Barrow County line. Two days later, the remains were identified as Morales'.
About a week later, on February 13, 2023, police arrested Doraville Police Department Officer Myles Bryant. He was initially charged with concealing the death of another person and falsely reporting a crime. He was later charged with kidnapping and murder.
Gwinnett police said Bryant and Morales do not appear to have known each other before the killings. Detectives found Bryant's gun near Morales' body, according to the district attorney's office. He reported her gun stolen shortly after her death, but investigators were able to link the gun to him.
Gwinnett County District Attorney Patsy Austin-Gatson said following the conviction and sentencing: “We are deeply saddened by the Morales family. The despicability of the defendant's actions is compounded by the fact that he was a police officer at the time. Thankfully for the Morales family, the vast majority of law enforcement officers serve the public interest every day.”
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