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Human remains found in forest identified as missing Gwinnett County teen
The family of Susana Morales is heartbroken Wednesday night after learning their 16-year-old loved one who went missing in July was positively identified as the body found in the woods off of Highway 316 and Drowning Creek Road.
GWINNETT COUNTY, Ga. - The Gwinnett County Medical Examiners' Office has identified the human remains found Monday on Highway 316 as 16-year-old Susana Morales. Police said the teen's family reported her missing late July.
"It does look like she has been there for some period of time," Jennifer Richter of the Gwinnett County Police told FOX 5.
On Feb. 6, officers responded to the area between Drowning Creek and Barrow County after someone reported seeing what they believed were human remains in the forest.
Morales' family members told police they hadn't seen her since the evening of July 26. That night, detectives said Morales texted her mom at 9:40 p.m. to tell her she was on her way home to Windscape Village Lane. Officials confirmed an app on Morales' cell phone showed that she was walking in that direction between 10:07 p.m. and 10:21 p.m., but detectives said they have reason to believe she had actually gotten into a vehicle.
Between 10:21 p.m. and 10:26 p.m., her phone indicated that she was in the area of Oak Loch Trace and Steve Reynolds Boulevard. Her phone pinged that location until it either died or was turned off. Morales never made it home.
Susana Morales, 16. (Credit: Gwinnett Police Department) (Supplied)
The Gwinnett Medical Examiners' office tested the remains and said the DNA matched Morales' dental records.
Richter said police are still working with the medical examiners' office to determine Morales' cause of death and other details in the case.
"Right now, we're really looking at this as a death investigation. We haven't ruled out homicide," Richter said.