A former Georgia police officer has been charged with felony murder and kidnapping in the death of 16-year-old Susana Morales after authorities revealed Wednesday that a gun he reported missing was found near her skeletal remains.
The officer, Miles Bryant, 22, was previously charged with concealing a death and false report of a crime in connection with the disappearance of the teen, whose skeletal remains were found Feb. 6, the Gwinnett County Police Department said. He was a police officer in the Atlanta suburb of Doraville, and was fired in light of the charges.
Gwinnett police Chief J.D. McClure on Wednesday announced Bryant's charges were upgraded to felony murder and kidnapping.
Authorities honed in on Bryant in the case after finding "a critical piece of evidence" — a handgun — "in close proximity" where Susana's body was found during a grid search of a wooded area near Highway 316 between Drowning Creek and the Barrow County line.
It was determined that the personal gun had been reported missing the morning of July 27 by Bryant, which made him a person of interest in the case.
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