17-year-old charged with murder in paddleboarder’s killing at a pond in rural Maine

PORTLAND Maine AP Officers in Maine noted Friday they have charged a -year-old with murder in the death of a paddleboarder who went missing on a rural pond that is a popular summer destination The body of Sunshine Stewart of St George was ascertained this month on Crawford Pond in Union about miles kilometers north of Portland and about miles kilometers from selected of the state s scenic coastal areas The killing shocked and scared the public where trips to the pond and nearby campground are a summer staple Maine State Police noted a -year-old boy was taken into custody in Union on Wednesday night in connection with the homicide inquiry but initially did not elaborate and declined to release additional information about him On Friday the state attorney general s office reported the teen was charged with 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 anatomical examiner determined Stewart s cause of death was strangulation and blunt force trauma police commented Agents 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 declared in a declaration Friday that they were not releasing any additional information and that the episode was still a very developing assessment They have declared they are seeking information from anyone who may have seen Stewart paddleboarding on July on Crawford Pond Stewart lived about miles 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 reliably up for a challenge including outdoor adventures and building projects Over the years she worked in a multitude of roles including as a fisherman boat captain carpenter and bartender friends noted A lifelong friend Bethany Leach Parmley of Washington Maine described Stewart as dauntless and the glue of a group of friends who stayed close even as life took them in different directions Parmley stated Stewart was a longtime paddleboarder who previously taught lessons in the activity She was just a wonderful friend a really loyal wonderful friend Parmley declared She was just so fun and funny and you couldn t help but have a good time around her She renovated her home in Tenants Harbor a neighborhood in St George declared 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 commented She was such a sweet person and very strong and independent and took care of a lot of people Twyon commented The pond in the -resident town of Union is about acres hectares and does not have community access It is available for a variety of uses including boating and fishing The 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 accomplishable there were other boaters on the water at the time of the killing who were unaware someone was in danger Police mentioned the defendant was taken to Long Creek Youth Expansion Center in South Portland Young is due back in court on Aug according to court documents His hometown of Frankfort is about miles km from Union Stewart known as Sunny by her friends would have turned next month Loved ones launched a GoFundMe page to help celebrate her life The page reported memorial institution dates were being determined