Family of Susana Morales launch petition urging police to further investigate her case

NORCROSS, Ga. (Atlanta News First) - The family of Susana Morales want police to further investigate their loved one’s murder. They held a news conference Thursday morning ahead of a planned public forum with police Thursday evening.

Susana’s sister Jasmine says she’ll remember how kind and talented her younger sister was.

“I remember when we were little, she was the classy one because she played the piano. She had a beautiful voice, a beautiful voice.,” said Jasmine Morales.

The remains of Jasmine’s 16-year-old sister, who was reported missing back in July, were discovered last month in a wooded area off Highway 316. Morales’ family has launched a petition at the website Justice4Susana.com. In the petition the family details the hours before Susana went missing and the frantic search for her in the hours, days, and months that followed. The family also claims that Gwinnett County police dismissed the family and told them Susana was likely a runaway.

Miles Bryant, a former Doraville police officer is charged with Morales’ murder. Morales’ family and supporters are calling on police to release more information about their loved Morales’ murder. They don’t believe Gwinnett County Police are being transparent with their investigation.

“I think that across-the-board there need to be better processed in place when not only black and brown girls butt when girls go missing, as well as better processes in place in police-involved murders,” said Chloe Cheyenne, founder of COMMUNITYx.

Morales is one of three Hispanic teens reported missing and found dead in Gwinnett County in as many months. Through a Spanish-speaking interpreter, Morales’ grief-stricken mother, struggled to hold back tears as she addressed the news cameras over zoom.

“I want to help others in our community and other communities who are missing children, young girls. I do not want this to happen to any other family. I don’t want any other families to go through what we are going through,” said Maria Manzanares-Morales.

The Chief of Police and the Gwinnett County Police command staff will all be at the Universal Church in Norcross Thursday evening to answer questions and listen to residents’ concerns. The forum is in response to calls for more transparency from Morales’ family and the Hispanic community.

The police forum will be open to the public and it starts at 6:30 p.m. The Universal Church is located at 6081 Singleton Road in Norcross.

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