A Maine teenager accused of killing a woman on a remote pond — and then volunteering to help police find her — will go to trial after a judge ruled him competent to stand trial.
What Happened?
On July 2, 2025, 48-year-old Sunshine Stewart went paddleboarding on Crawford Pond near a campground in Union, Maine. She never came back.
Her body was later found on an island in the middle of the pond. Authorities determined she died from strangulation and blunt force trauma.
The Suspect
Deven Young, who was 17 at the time, was vacationing at the same campground as Stewart. Investigators believe he took his fishing boat onto the pond just before Stewart went paddleboarding that evening.
What made the case shocking — Young allegedly volunteered to help investigators search for Stewart, but led them in the wrong direction.
“He acted like nothing ever happened,” said campground owner Katharine Lunt. “Nobody was looking for a child.”
Young was arrested two weeks later on July 16, 2025.
What’s Next?
Now 18 years old, Young has been ruled competent to stand trial. A judge has not yet decided whether he will be tried as an adult or juvenile.
If convicted as an adult, he could face 25 years to life in prison.
His next court appearance is scheduled for May 7.
