Ex-Doraville officer charged with murder, kidnapping of Susana Morales

GWINNETT COUNTY, Ga. - The former Doraville police officer arrested as part of the investigation into the disappearance and death of 16-year-old Susana Morales has now been charged with her kidnapping and murder. 

Morales had been missing since last July. Earlier this month, Gwinnett detectives arrested 22-year-old Miles Bryant of Norcross, accusing him of hiding the teen's death and then lying about it. Wednesday, the Gwinnett County Police Chief say that they've upgraded Bryant's charges to felony murder and kidnapping.

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 to her home on Santa Anna Drive. Officials confirmed an app on Morales' cell phone showed that she was walking in that direction on Singleton Road from Windscape Village Lane between 10:07 p.m. and 10:21 p.m., but detectives said they have reason to believe she died between 10 p.m. that day and 2 a.m. on the next day.

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' SISTER BELIEVE SHE DIDN'T KNOW OFFICER CHARGED IN HER DEATH

A breakthrough in the case came on Feb. 6, when officers responded to the area between Drowning Creek and Barrow County after someone reported seeing what they believed were human remains in the forest.

(Left) Susana Morales. (Right) Former Doraville police officer Miles Bryant in first court appearance. (FOX 5 Atlanta)

The Gwinnett Medical Examiners' office tested the remains and said the DNA matched Morales' dental records. The site was about 20 miles from where the teen was last seen. In a search of the area around where Morales' body was found, officials say they found a firearm belonging to Bryant that he had reported stolen on the same day the teen was reported missing. 

After marking Bryant a person of interest in the case, officials say they began watching his activities and eventually found evidence that "directly linked" him to the crime. 

In the warrant application, officials allege that Bryant, who was working as a Doraville police officer at the time of Morales' death, lives close to where she was last reported on Windscape Village Lane and dumped her naked body in the woods.

While police mentioned in their warrant application that they suspected Bryant of rape, he has not been charged with the offense. Gwinnett County James McClure says that it "is a possibility" the teen was sexually assaulted.

"What we do know is that she died at the hands of Miles Bryant," McClure said.

Calling Morales' death an "unspeakable tragedy," McClure said that the fact the crime was allegedly committed by a law enforcement officer "evoked anger" within the ranks of his agency.

At this point, investigators say there is no evidence that anyone else was involved in Morales' death.

Susana Morales' family speaks after arrest 

Speaking to FOX 5, Susana's older sister Jasmine Morales says that the family believes that the teen did not know Bryant and that her death was a stranger-on-stranger crime.

Jasmine told FOX 5 her parents are not doing well since news broke of the arrest and warrant. She said they are still hopeful they can get her justice soon.

The family hopes those who have information on what happened will speak up.

"That's why I did a post for anybody with information to come forward, because all that can be used as evidence against him. He is the only one who knows what happened," the older sister said.Jasmine told FOX 5 her parents are not doing well since news broke of the arrest and warrant. She said they are still hopeful they can get her justice soon.

Miles Bryant accused of stalking another woman

 After Bryant's arrest, a Snellville woman came forward to FOX 5 claiming she was stalked by him around the same time that Morales disappeared.

.Elesha Bates, 21, says that she had known Bryant since fifth grade, and that Ring video provided by a neighbor showed him lurking around her apartment door and tugging at the doorknob.

Ms. Bates believes Ring video her neighbor gave her is Bryant as he was lurking around her door with a hood on his head, tugging at her doorknob. She says he even broke in one time when she was not home.

"When my neighbor told me that she saw Miles come into our community and mess with my door when I wasn't home, just trying to see if I was home messing with my doorknob and stuff. Once she showed me the video, it was all alarming," Ms. Bates said.

She says Bryant became so aggressive she feared for her life and reported the then police officer to his employer Doraville Police and Gwinnett County Police.

Doraville Police says they launched an administrative investigation, talked to Bryant and the behavior stopped. Doraville Police says they told Bates to report any potential criminal charges to the Gwinnett County Police Department.

Gwinnett County Police says they are not sure why her complaint was not followed up on, but they are reopening the case.

Speaking on Wednesday, McClure said that they do not believe the two incidents are connected.