One of the primary reasons families from around Latin America risk such a perilous passage to the global north is because they believe it is safer than staying at home. For many people migrating from Mexico, South America, Central America, and the Caribbean, where many countries are plagued by poverty, systemic oppression, and state violence, the United States represents the opportunity for a better life. Yet, even after conquering the difficult-to-reach destination that is the U.S. southern border, many of these same families go on to become victims of the very law enforcement sworn to protect and serve them. This time, that victim is Susana Morales.
On February 6, the remains of the 16-year-old, who was reported missing on July 26, 2022, were discovered in the woods of an Atlanta suburb. The primary suspect: Georgia Officer Miles Bryant. Throughout the investigation, Gwinnett County Police dismissed the Morales family’s concerns, insisting that their daughter’s case was that of a runaway. Despite arguing that Morales would never do such a thing and that she was on her way home when they last contacted her, police officers failed to prevent a teen kidnapping and murder at the hands of one of their own.
In February, Bryant, 22, was fired from a nearby police department in Doraville County in light of his connections to the killing. Bryant has been charged with a felony murder and kidnapping as well as first-degree burglary, filing a false report of a crime, and concealing the death of another. Bryant, who has a history of stalking, harassing, and behaving inappropriately toward women and girls, remains in the Gwinnett County Adult Detention Center without bond. “I was shocked. I had to process it for a second. I was just like what? That explains why it took so long for us to have an answer,” Jasmine Morales, Susana’s sister, told WSB-TV. “It’s a police officer. I’m guessing they know how to cover their tracks.”
“Police officers failed to prevent a teen kidnapping and murder at the hands of one of their own”
marjua estevez
According to Mapping Police Violence, at least 1,176 people were killed by law enforcement officers in the U.S. in 2022, the most of any year since at least 2013. Meanwhile, a study by Bowling Green State University found that police officers were charged with rape 405 times between 2005 and 2013, a number researchers expect is much, much higher. In a 2022 NBC review of department rosters in New York, Los Angeles and Philadelphia, the news outlet found that many officers who are accused of sexual abuse and harassment aren’t fired or even demoted. In fact, some end up promoted.
All around the country, the number of missing young Black and Latina women has spiked during the pandemic. “It’s not just Gwinnett County. In Washington, DC, there are still dozens of unsolved, missing cases related to Black and Brown girls under the age of 21,” activist Cheyenne said at a Justice 4 Susana event. “Families like Susana’s come to America for the very thing that we just can’t seem to offer: peace and safety.”