ESGENOOPETITJ FIRST NATION, N.B. — A suspect arrested in connection with the death of New Brunswick teenager Hilary Bonnell will face charges soon, according to the RCMP.

"It's not a question of if he's going to be charged or not. He will be charged. But we have to be sure about the charge that's going to be laid," said Insp. Roch Fortin on Friday.

RCMP are also exploring charges against other individuals who may have been involved in Bonnell's death or who may have somehow hindered the investigation, Fortin said.

Bonnell went missing from the native reserve, also known as Burnt Church, in September after leaving a party at 3 a.m.

Her body was discovered last week in a remote, wooded area near the community of Tracadie-Sheila.

Prior to the discovery of the body, RCMP searched two properties belonging to Bonnell's uncle, Christopher Bonnell.

The suspect in custody cannot be named until charges have been laid, Fortin said.

Residents angered by the tragedy tried to set fire to Bonnell's home last Friday, Fortin said, but no other incidents have been reported since.

Hundreds of mourners attended a funeral for Bonnell on Thursday at St. Anne's Roman Catholic Church at Miramichi Bay.

Fifteen First Nations chiefs from across Atlantic Canada attended the funeral, as well as Bonnell's friends and family and members of surrounding communities.

With a file from the Telegraph-Journal