GWINNETT COUNTY, Ga. — For the first time, we’re hearing from the mother of a local murdered teen at the hands of a former Doraville police officer.
Four years ago, Susana Morales vanished on a walk back to her Gwinnett County home.
She had been gone for more than two hours when her mother tried to reach her.
“I called her three times, and she didn’t answer. And she would always answer me,” Maria Bran told ABC News.
“Susana’s mom reached out to Susana, like, ‘Hey, where are you?’ And she texted her and texted her and texted her,” Detective Angela Carter with the Gwinnett County Police Department said.
“Susana, do you want me to go for you?… My daughter, please answer,” Bran said.
Morales’ remains were found six months later along with evidence that broke the case wide open.
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That’s when former Doraville Police Officer Miles Bryant was brought in for questioning.
“So, the initial plan for the interview: just go in there and be relaxed, ask him very open-ended questions, and then at one point when I think I got as much information as I probably could get from him, we’re just being super casual, I drop that one bomb,” Carter said.
ABC obtained the video of Bryant being questioned by Carter four years ago.
“Basically, my sergeant did confirm that we did find your gun,” Carter told Bryant. “You watch the news. You know we found Susana, but there was actually a gun found out there too.”
“For real?” Bryant asked.
“You’ve been shaking,” Carter told Bryant.
“It’s crazy, you know?” Bryant replied.
“Michael, I told you we wanted your help and everything, and your hands were shaking in my car,” Sgt. Ryan Jorstad with the Gwinnett County Police Department said to Bryant.
A special 2-hour report from ABC News 20/20: “Tracking Susana” airs Friday night at 9 p.m. on Channel 2, followed by WSB Tonight at 11 p.m.