Friends and family of a Maine woman whose killing on a rural pond shocked the community plan to celebrate her life with a maritime service on Sunday
Sunshine Stewart, 48, of St. George, went missing in July while paddleboarding on Crawford Pond, a popular summer destination in Union.
She was later found dead, and police charged Deven Young, 17, of Frankfort, Maine, with murder in connection with her death.
Stewart’s loved ones are calling Sunday’s memorial a “maritime celebration of life.”
They are holding the memorial at 10:30 a.m. in the Tenants Harbor section of St. George, where Stewart lived.
The event will include a procession of vessels in the vicinity of Tenants Harbor, according to the organizers.
“On August 10, 2025, family, friends, and community will come together on the sea to honor and remember the vibrant life of Sunshine ‘Sunny’ Stewart — a woman whose brilliance touched everyone she encountered,” event promoters announced on social media.
The Office of the Maine Attorney General has said it is seeking to try Young as an adult.
A judge will need to rule on that request. Young is due in court for a status conference on Aug. 22.
Young made a brief initial court appearance last month in which he entered a denial to the murder charge.
His attorney, Jeremy Pratt, has declined to comment.
Authorities have provided limited information regarding the murder and have refrained from making public inferences about a potential motive. Shannon Moss, a spokesperson for the Maine State Police, mentioned that the investigation into Stewart’s death is ongoing and is expected to be for some time.
Stewart lived about 20 miles from the pond where she was killed.
The pond is popular with boaters and fishermen and is the site of a campground.
Police have said a medical examiner determined Stewart’s cause of death was strangulation and blunt force trauma.
In the weeks following the murder, Stewart’s friends have celebrated her memory, recalling her as a free spirit, a committed friend, and an enthusiast of the ocean and the great outdoors.
She took a varied career path through life, working as a biologist, fisherman, carpenter and in many other roles, friends said.
Bethany Leach Parmley, a lifelong friend, described Stewart as “a really loyal, wonderful friend.”
