RCMP believe body may be missing N.B. teen's

RCMP have discovered a body buriedin a remote,wooded area in northern New Brunswick they believe may be that of Hilary Bonnell, the Esgenoopetitj First Nation teenager who went missing two months ago.

Policehave a suspect in custody.

RCMP Insp. Roch Fortin told reporters that, based on information received, police had been searching in the former military firing range in Tracadie-Sheilawhere they foundthe body.

The remains have been sent for additional testing and identification. An autopsy is scheduled to beperformed in Saint John on Saturday.

Hilary was the only personreported missing in the area, Fortin said during his short, sombre statement. Evidence discovered at the scene, including some clothing, also suggeststhe body is Hilary's, he said.

The suspect is known to police, Fortin said, but he declined to divulge any additional information, for fear of jeopardizing the investigation.

Hilary, 16, was last seen on Sept. 5 walking along Highway 11 in Esgenoopetitj, commonly known as Burnt Church.

The RCMP searched properties in Burnt Church and another in the nearby community of Tabusintac last week thatwere connected to a criminal investigation. At the time, the RCMP did not link the search to Hilary's disappearance, but on Friday, Fortin confirmed they were related to the case.

"This investigation has been one of the most difficult and complicated senior investigators here have faced," he said.

Fortin said he had always hoped to find Hilary alive, but was glad police were able to at least offer her family and community some closure by bringing her home. He thanked Hilary's family and community for their assistance, support, trust and patience throughout the investigation.

He specifically mentioned her mother, Pam Fillier, who had given him a traditional"tobacco offering." It was that same day that there was a "major break" in the investigation that allowed police to recover Hilary, said Fortin, showing reporters the small, cloth sachet.

"The RCMP will continue to work diligently to discover what happened to Hilary," Fortin said.

"There's a lot of work still to be done for us to complete this investigation," he said, appealing to anyone with information to contact the RCMP or Crime Stoppers.

"We need to finish what we started. We need to have a successful prosecution.We need to ensure the individual or individuals [responsible] are not roaming the streets anymore."