Maine prosecutors filed a motion on Monday to charge a 17-year-old boy as an adult for killing a paddleboarder earlier this month.
The teenager, whose identity has appeared in several media outlets, has not yet been officially charged as an adult for the alleged murder of 48-year-old Sunshine Stewart. WABI mentioned that a motion from the prosecutors was also denied.
Reports indicate that the individual accused of killing Stewart will celebrate his 18th birthday in September. He was detained on June 16, almost two weeks after Stewart was discovered strangled at Crawford Pond in Union.
It is suspected that Stewart disappeared on July 2 from the Mic Mac Campground, where she had been residing for several days. Her intention was to spend the summer at the campgrounds, but concerns were raised the following day when she did not come back from paddleboarding.
“We first thought that maybe she was hurt,” campground owner Katharine Lunt told ABC. “Maybe she had been hit by a boat. We had no idea why she hadn’t returned.”
The teen allegedly dumped Stewart’s body on 100 Acre Island, an area that is only accessible by boat. He and his family were reportedly also staying at the pond for the summer.
Lunt alleged the teen “volunteered” inaccurate information to investigators to guide them in the opposite direction of where Stewart’s body was located. She also claimed he appeared “totally normal” in the days following Stewart’s slaying.
“He had said he had something to show them, and took them out on the lake on pretty much a wild goose chase,” she commented.
A spokesperson for the Maine Attorney General’s Office told WBTS that the courts allowed them to publicly name Stewart’s accused killer. However, the courts prohibited the release of more information in this case.
A motive remains undisclosed. The teen is due back in court on August 22.
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