PORTLAND, Maine (AP) — Maine officials announced on Friday that they have charged a 17-year-old with murder concerning the death of a paddleboarder who disappeared at a rural pond, a favored summer spot.
The body of 48-year-old Sunshine Stewart from St. George was discovered this month at Crawford Pond in Union, situated roughly 80 miles (130 kilometers) north of Portland and approximately 15 miles (24 kilometers) from several of the state’s picturesque coastal regions. This tragic incident has left the community distressed and fearful, as the pond and nearby campsite are beloved summer retreats.
Maine State Police informed the public that a 17-year-old male was apprehended in Union on Wednesday night as part of the homicide inquiry. Initially, they withheld further details about the suspect. However, on Friday, the state attorney general’s office revealed that the teenager is facing one count of murder.
Court documents identified the teen as Deven Young, of Frankfort, Maine. He made a brief initial court appearance on Friday in which he entered a denial to the charge. His attorney, Jeremy Pratt, declined to comment to The Associated Press via email.
A medical examiner determined Stewart’s cause of death was strangulation and blunt force trauma, police said.
Authorities have not revealed a motive. Court documents contain little detail other than stating that Young is a juvenile and “did intentionally or knowingly cause the death of another human being, namely Sunshine Stewart.”
Police said in a statement Friday that they were not releasing any additional information and that the case was “still a very active investigation.” They have said they are seeking information from anyone who may have seen Stewart paddleboarding on July 2 on Crawford Pond.
Stewart lived about 21 miles (34 kilometers) from the pond in the Tenants Harbor neighborhood in St. George. A person reached by phone who identified herself as Stewart’s sister on Thursday declined to comment.
Friends of Stewart have posted online testimonials remembering her as fiercely independent and always up for a challenge, including outdoor adventures and building projects. Over the years, she worked in many roles, including as a fisherman and bartender, friends said.
She renovated her home in Tenants Harbor, a neighborhood in St. George, said Bruce Twyon, a friend who knew Stewart from her time living in the Virgin Islands. That spoke to her self-motivation and spirit of “getting things done and enjoying life every day,” he said.
“She was such a sweet person and very strong and independent, and took care of a lot of people,” Twyon said.
The pond, in the 2,400-resident town of Union, is about 600 acres (243 hectares) and does not have public access. It is available for a variety of uses, including boating and fishing. The 100 Acre Island preserve in the center of the pond is a wooded island reachable by canoe, kayak or paddleboard from a nearby campground.
The pond has numerous nooks and narrow areas, so it’s possible there were other boaters on the water at the time of the killing who were unaware someone was in danger.
Police said the defendant was taken to Long Creek Youth Development Center in South Portland. Young is due back in court on Aug. 22, according to court documents.
Stewart — known as “Sunny by her friends — would have turned 49 next month. Loved ones launched a GoFundMe page to help celebrate her life. The page said memorial service dates were being determined.
