GWINNETT COUNTY, GA — A former Doraville police officer serving life without parole for killing a 16-year-old girl in Gwinnett County is asking for a new trial.
Miles Bryant was convicted in 2024 of the murder of 16-year-old Susana Morales.
During a motions hearing, Bryant’s former defense attorney, Tracy Drake, told the court she objected to evidence involving the Life360 app on Morales’ phone because she believed it was unreliable.
“That was the crux of the whole prosecutor’s theory of what happened in the case,” Drake said.
Drake said she may share responsibility for the conviction because she did not object more forcefully to the prosecution’s use of the app’s data.
“I probably should have objected more, but I was trying to temper with not being the nasty defense attorney to the jury,” Drake said.
Drake also cited her own family’s experience with the app.
“My daughter has reached out to me saying ‘where are you?’ and I’m like at the office, and she’ll be like ‘Life-360 is showing that you’re somewhere else.’ So it’s not very reliable,” Drake said.
Drake contends the data from the tracking app should not have been admissible and said it was key evidence in Bryant’s conviction.
“They created at least something arguable to support their theory in regarding kidnapping, going a different direction, things of that nature,” Drake said.
There is no word on when a judge will rule on Bryant’s motion for a new trial.
WSB Radio’s Graham Carroll contributed to this story.