Prosecutors Claim Internet Searches Prove Former Police Officer Murdered 16-Year-Old Girl
Miles Bryant is accused of murdering Susana Morales, who was found dead in February 2023
A former police officer accused of murdering a teenage girl and dumping her body in the woods allegedly made incriminating internet searches that prosecutors presented during his ongoing trial.
Miles Bryant was initially arrested in February 2023 in Gwinnett County, Ga., on accusations he moved the dead body of 16-year-old Susana Morales six months after the teen was reported missing, PEOPLE previously reported. Jail records indicate he has subsequently been charged with murder and kidnapping.
The prosecution rested its case against Bryant this week and closing arguments are expected to begin on June 12, according to a report from 11Alive.
Shown during the trial were several searches prosecutors claim Bryant made, including “how long does it take a body to decompose?” and “How are you id by dental records?,” according to reports from 11Alive and WSB-TV.
Fox 5 Atlanta reported that Bryant was identified as the suspect in Morales’ murder after his gun was allegedly found near her skeletal remains, prosecutors say.
According to 11Alive, Bryant declined to testify on his own behalf and his lawyers did not call any witnesses during the trial.
Morales was reported missing on July 26, 2022, when she didn’t return home after texting her mother that she was on her way, PEOPLE previously reported.
Related: Ga. Police Officer Arrested After Naked Body of Missing 16-Year-Old Girl Found in Woods
Her remains were not found until Feb. 6, when they were spotted in a wooded area by a passerby.
Bryant was an officer in the Doraville Police Department at the time of his arrest. The department, in a statement released after Bryant was arrested, referred to him as a former officer.
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"The City of Doraville and its Police Department are fully cooperating with the Gwinnett Police Department in its investigation of Mr. Bryant,"the statement said. "Our prayers rest with the family and friends of Susana Morales and everyone else affected by this tragedy."
A GoFundMe started by Morales’ family raised over $23,000.
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