Police arrested a 17-year-old boy from Maine in connection with the July 3 homicide of 48-year-old Sunshine “Sunny” Stewart, Maine State Police announced in a post on social media.
In the same post, Maine police announced Stewart’s cause of death: strangulation and blunt force trauma. No further details were provided. “This remains an active and ongoing investigation,” the police force said.
What happened to Sunny Stewart?
Stewart, 48, a former marine biologist, lobsterman, boat captain, and avid outdoors person from Tenants Harbor, Maine, went paddleboarding alone on Crawford Pond in Union on the evening of July 2, 2025. She hadn’t returned by later that night, and her body was discovered the next morning—July 3—on a wooded island in the pond, accessible only by boat. Early reports suggested a potential drowning, but following an autopsy, investigators confirmed her death was a homicide.
On July 16, authorities arrested a 17-year-old male from Maine in Union, taking him into custody without incident. The suspect was transferred to the Long Creek Youth Development Center in South Portland. Court documents later identified him as Deven Young, a resident of Frankfort, Maine, who frequents the area where Stewart was killed with his family.
Young’s first court appearance
On July 18, the Maine Attorney General’s Office formally charged Young with murder. In his initial virtual arraignment at the Knox County Courthouse, he pleaded not guilty. His next court appearance is scheduled for August 22. It remains to be determined whether he will be tried as a juvenile or as an adult. No reported evidence or official statements have emerged regarding a possible motive.
Authorities stress the investigation is still active. They continue to seek information, especially from anyone present on Crawford Pond on the evening of July 2, and have provided a tip line for the public, asking anyone with information to text MESPTIP to 847411 or call 207-624-7076.
Published: Jul 19, 2025 07:17 am