Ex-cop's lawyer could have helped him get life sentence for murder of 16-year-old girl

Lina Portman3 weeks ago

0 1 minute read

During opening statements in the trial of Miles Bryant, a former police officer accused of the kidnapping and murder of 16-year-old Susana Morales, Bryant's attorney, Tracy Drake, called her client “cold” and “insensitive”.

She even warned that the jury wouldn't like it.

“Hold it [Bryant] guilty of the death of Susana Morales,” Drake told the jury.

And that's exactly what the jury did after just six hours of deliberation: A Gwinnett County, Georgia, jury found Bryant, 23, guilty of intentional murder, felony murder, kidnapping and false crime report. He was sentenced Wednesday to life in prison without the possibility of parole.

According to a Gwinnett County news release, after she texted her family that she was on her way home from a friend's house, Morales was never heard from again. It was not until seven months later that his remains were found.

The Life 360 app installed on Morales' phone was considered key evidence in locating his last known location. Bryant's own cell phone records helped link him to the site where Morales was later found, according to Atlanta's WSB-TV.

Bryant admitted to dumping Morales' body in the woods, but the exact cause of death was never determined. A firearm registered to Bryant was also found at the scene. The sentencing came nearly two years after his initial disappearance.

The trial, which began June 3, was filled with testimony from Morales's friends and family.

“She was truly inspiring. She was nice to everyone. She was a really loving person,” Morales’ boyfriend said during his testimony.

During the trial, police officer Xavier Biggers, who worked closely to find Morales, also took the stand and became emotional as he recounted how “obsessed” he had become with finding the girl.