Ex-officer learns sentence after jury finds him guilty of murdering Gwinnett teen (2024)

GWINNETT COUNTY, Ga. — A verdict has been reached in the ongoing trial where a former Georgia officer was accused in the death of a Gwinnett County teen.

Ex-Doraville Police officer Miles Bryant was sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole in the murder case of Susana Morales on Wednesday as a Gwinnett County jury returned the verdict for each charge he was facing:

After the trial concluded, Bryant's defense attorney, Tracy Drake, talked about the case and her client being convicted on four of the five counts, including both malice and felony murder.

She explained that Bryant didn't testify in the case due to the fact that some evidence that was kept out of the trial could have come into play had he testified. She also said that he is a "very nervous person anyway," and that it could have issues with an appeal later on.

"You're always going to second-guess 'What if? What if?' He (Bryant) is still OK with the decision that we made," Drake said.

Drake also talked about what she believed to be the most damaging piece of evidence presented against Bryant during the course of the trial, which she said was the Life360 app that displayed Bryant's location near where Morales' remains were ultimately found in Dacula.

Bryant's defense attorney also caught the eye of many during her opening statements in the trial, calling her client "cold and callous" and warning the jury they were going to not like Bryant. She was asked why she chose to present her client in that fashion just as the trial began.

"Well, just because of the family not knowing for seven months," Drake said. "You know, that's awful. I mean, I'm a parent. Any parent, you know, I could not imagine what she went through and Ms. Maria (Susana's mom) was very gracious to me ... I did give her a hug today to express my condolences to her because I know that must have been horrible."

The jury began deliberating on Wednesday, June 12, after hearing compelling arguments from both the defense and the prosecution.

Bryant was accused of kidnapping and murdering 16-year-old Susana Morales. She was last seen on July 26, 2022, when she visited her friends at the Sterling Glen apartment complex. It's the same apartment complex where Bryant lived.

Her friend testified that the teen left that night to head back home. Video shown in court showed Morales walking down the street. However, she never made it home and family members reported her missing.

Her skeletal remains were found months later in the woods on the side of Highway 316 in Dacula. There were many questions about what might have happened to the teen in her final moments.

Highlights in the trial

The trial began on Monday, June 3, with jury selection. Testimonies then began on Wednesday, June 5, and started with a strong emotional account from Morales' mother.

Her sister also spoke about her search efforts using the Life360 app.

On Thursday, June 6, proceedings began with testimonies from Morales' best friend, Esmeralda "Rose" Castillo, and her boyfriend, Axel Zaragoza. Castillo recounted the moments leading up to Morales' disappearance, her growing concern when Morales didn't return home, and her attempts to locate her through the app. Castillo also mentioned a previous encounter with Bryant, who offered them a ride, which they declined.

Zaragoza described Morales as an uplifting and loving person. He testified about their multiple FaceTime calls the night she disappeared.

Proceedings from that day also included testimonies from detectives and officers involved in the case. Gwinnett County Police Lt. Xavier Biggers, who became emotional on the stand, spoke about his dedication to finding Morales. Another officer recounted the discovery of a gun matching Bryant's stolen firearm report.

Bodycam footage was shown,capturing the moments when Morales' remains were found. Detective William Merkley testified about Bryant reporting his gun stolen, finding it odd that Bryant did not want an investigation into the theft.

Bryant's ex-girlfriend, Avyonne Smyre, testified about their arguments the night Morales disappeared and noted suspicious scratches on Bryant's truck.

On Friday, June 7, the Gwinnett County jury heard from key witnesses, including an investigator who testified to the cell phone records pinging the ex-officer's phone location in the area where her remains were found.

The jury also heard from another one of the defendant's ex-girlfriends and his mother, who provided details about text messages sent to him the night the teen was last seen.

Gwinnett County Chief Medical Examiner Dr. Carol Terry also testified in the case to tell the jury about how investigators found her remains, giving them more insight into her death and adding that the cause was undetermined.

On Monday, June 10, the court heard from several investigators, including Detective Angela Carter, who was brought to tears when describing the moments she realized the remains found in the woods in Dacula belonged to Morales.

Jurors also witnessed a three-hour police interview between the defendant and police detectives, who questioned him as a suspect in the case.

On Tuesday, June 11, the trial continued with testimony from Detective Carter about the defendant's search history, highlighting key searches from around the time Morales' body was found and around the time she disappeared. Closing arguments were heard the following day.