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Yahoo
an hour ago
- Yahoo
Maine paddleboarder murder suspect acted 'totally normal': Campground owner
No one expected their summer on the lush, serene banks of Crawford Pond, Maine, to be upended by a heinous killing. That peace was shattered this July when camp newcomer Sunshine "Sunny" Stewart had gone paddleboarding -- and never came back. Police found the 48-year-old strangled and bludgeoned to death the next morning. A two-week hunt for a killer ensued. It was even more shocking when that search stopped -- and authorities were able to make an arrest, and the suspect turned out to be a 17-year-old staying at the camp. In her first interview since police charged Deven Young with Stewart's murder on Friday, Mic Mac Campground owner Katharine Lunt explained to ABC News the horror that engulfed her idyllic corner of rural Maine since July 2, and how fiercely driven she's been to protect it. "It's not a place where these things happen," Lunt said. "It's not a place where we're suspect of each other," she said, describing the grounds as a "haven for all of us." MORE: Teen suspected of killing Maine paddleboarder charged with murder Lunt first met Stewart at the beginning of May when she registered for a seasonal campsite with a friend. "Sunny was very excited to be on the lake and paddleboard," Lunt said. Just before America's birthday, Stewart set out on the pond for a quiet evening swim and paddle. She left her purse in her car, its windows open, Lunt said. Just before midnight, Lunt noticed on her security camera system that Stewart's friend was searching the waterfront with a flashlight -- prompting Lunt to check it out. Stewart's board and paddle were missing. She was nowhere to be found. Lunt called local police, and the search ensued. "We first thought that maybe she was hurt," Lunt said. "Maybe she had been hit by a boat. We had no idea why she hadn't returned." State and local agencies and even locals helped look for Stewart by land, water and air with the help of a drone. Dense fog sat on the banks of the 600-acre pond. Two local residents found a blue paddleboard -- which then helped direct police's attention to the area where her body would be found. As police combed through evidence day after day at the campground, Lunt was determined to help crack the case. She combed over footage from her robust surveillance apparatus around camp, with a total of 16 security cameras, that authorities say was in fact key to the investigation. "I was looking for a stranger, somebody out of the ordinary," Lunt said. "Absolutely nobody was looking for a child. We were looking for an adult." It created an atmosphere of suspicion, according to Lunt. "When we didn't know what had happened, and we felt there was a stranger amongst us, so every day I was up at dawn till dusk at the gate of the campground, making sure that we were not allowing any strangers in our community," she said. MORE: 'This stuff doesn't happen here': Murdered paddleboarder sparks concern in small town Lunt helped rally campers to offer their footage if it might have something, and even volunteer their DNA. "I was obsessed with finding out who did this -- because it was terrifying for everybody," she said. One young man staying with his parents at Mic Mac that summer seemed eager to help, too: a 17-year-old always offering to help others with their yard work or loose pets. He'd even made wood crafts to give to other campers, Lunt said. He liked to go out on his little boat. Deven Young had something to show police that might help, Lunt recalled Young said. He took an investigator and the warden out on the water. "He volunteered, he said he had some information, and he took them in the opposite direction of where Sunny was found," Lunt said. "He had said he had something to show them, and took them out on the lake on pretty much a wild goose chase." MORE: Missing Maine paddleboarder was murdered, suspect unknown: Police For two weeks, the suspect was "acting totally normal," Lunt said. "He acted like nothing ever happened." She shook her head. "It's haunting. He was not on anybody's radar." Lunt believes that perhaps Young "said something" that caught investigators' attention and made them scrutinize him more closely. After speaking with him for a couple more hours, police left, only to return that evening and head directly for the Young family's site. He was arrested the evening of July 16. Young has been charged with Stewart's murder and is currently in custody at a juvenile detention facility. State prosecutors have moved to charge him as an adult, according to a spokesperson for the Maine Attorney General's office. That request has not yet been ruled on. At his first court appearance Friday, Young entered a denial on the charge which will be addressed at a later hearing. His attorney had no comment. As police were at the Youngs' door the night of his arrest, Lunt pored over any surveillance footage she could find that might give a clue. "Just thinking, no way, this cannot be happening," Lunt said. "Then I went back to surveillance cameras to see where he was at the time [of the killing] -- and those surveillance videos indicated he was on the lake at the time." Young returned to land before it was dark on the night of the killing, according to Lunt's surveillance footage. Though Lunt didn't know Young well, she knows one thing: she never saw him and Stewart interact. Young's family had first camped at Mic Mac during the 2024 summer season, and returned this year. His grandparents had a site previously and he had visited them sometimes, too. Stewart had only been there for a few days. "They hadn't crossed paths," she said. "I think she was at the wrong place at the wrong time." Lunt recalls Young as perhaps an "awkward boy," but polite with no particular red flags she could recall. "We have a lot of kids, and they do a lot of things -- but not anything that would make you think that any child was going to murder somebody here," she said. "I have nothing nice to say. It's disgusting." At his first court appearance on Friday, Young entered a denial -- a procedural move disputing the allegations -- and arguments will be heard at a later hearing. The next hearing has been set for Aug. 22 in the Rockland District Court. In the meantime, Young will be kept in custody at a juvenile facility to ensure he'll appear at future court appearances and "to prevent the juvenile from inflicting bodily harm on others," Judge Eric Walker ruled Friday. Moving forward, Lunt wants to help the healing process by remembering Stewart as a "true ray of sunshine." "She was a force to be reckoned with," Lunt said, noting that her radiant energy will live on, but a difficult healing process has just begun. "A beautiful individual was just going out for a paddle and never came back. It's not fair." The Mic Mac family and entire Midcoast Maine community plan to hold a celebration of life on Sunday, Aug. 10. Lobster boats from the surrounding area are invited to take part in a "captain's salute" to honor Stewart.
CTV News
3 days ago
- Sport
- CTV News
Paddleboarders hit the water for mental health fundraiser
Dozens of paddleboarders took to the waters of Boundary Bay to participate in relay races in a fundraiser for the Surrey Hospitals Foundation.
CTV News
3 days ago
- CTV News
17-year-old charged with murder in paddleboarder's killing at a pond in rural Maine
Crawford Pond is seen Wednesday, July 9, 2025, in Union, Maine. Police are investigating the murder of a woman last seen paddleboarding on the pond. (AP Photo/Robert F. Bukaty) PORTLAND, Maine — Authorities in Maine said Friday they have charged a 17-year-old with murder in the death of a paddleboarder who went missing on a rural pond. The body of Sunshine Stewart, 48, of Tenants Harbor, was found this month on Crawford Pond in Union, about 80 miles (130 kilometers) north of Portland. The killing shocked and scared the community, where trips to the pond and nearby campground are a summer staple. Maine State Police said a teenager was taken into custody without incident in Union on Wednesday night. Police did not say initially why he was arrested or if he was charged, and they declined to release any other information about him as the investigation is ongoing. The state attorney general's office said Friday that the teen was charged with one count of murder. The office did not identify the teen and did not immediately say when the person was due in court. The Office of Chief Medical Examiner in Augusta determined Stewart's cause of death was strangulation and blunt force trauma, police said. Police said Thursday that the investigation was still active and they were 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, which is a popular summer destination about 15 miles (24 kilometers) from the scenic coastal areas of the state's midcoast region. A person reached by phone who identified herself as Stewart's sister 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 in a statement the arrest was the 'result of relentless investigative work' and that the teen was taken to Long Creek Youth Development Center in South Portland. Loved ones of Stewart -- who was known as 'Sunny' by her friends -- launched a GoFundMe page to help celebrate her life. The page said memorial service dates were being determined. Patrick Whittle, The Associated Press
CBS News
4 days ago
- CBS News
17-year-old boy arrested in connection with paddleboarder's killing in Maine
A 17-year-old boy has been arrested in connection with the killing of Sunshine Stewart, a paddleboarder who was found dead in Maine earlier this month, police said Thursday. Police did not identify the suspect or provide details on what charges he is facing. Other details, such as a possible motive or whether the teen knew Stewart, were not provided. Stewart, 48, was found dead on July 3 during a search of Crawford Pond in the town of Union, Maine, state police said in a previous statement. An autopsy by the state medical examiner's office determined her death was a homicide, and the Office of Chief Medical Examiner in Augusta later said the cause of death was strangulation and blunt force trauma, according to CBS affiliate WGME-TV. Stewart had gone on a solo paddleboarding trip a day earlier, but never returned, according WGME. Police said her body was found under "unusual circumstances" around 1 a.m., WGME reported. Kathy Lunt, the owner of Mic Mac campground near Crawford Pond, told WGME that Stewart was a seasonal resident there. Some Union residents expressed a sense of relief over the arrest. "There was all kinds of rumors circulating about the New England serial killer. And I'm glad there's been an arrest. I hope they can make it stick. I hope he's guilty, because then we know," Susan Creighton told WGME. Peter Exkardt, another Union resident told the station, "You just don't know. Just taking a walk and all that, not realizing who's going to be around the corner and all that. I think they did a good job in finding the person." Meredith Smith, a resident of Union who knew Stewart, described her as "a great, great person all-around." "To know Sunny, I don't think she had a bad bone in her body, and anyone that knew her was just in awe of her," Smith said, WGME reported. A GoFundMe launched for Stewart had raised more than $33, Lynch Baldwin contributed to this report.
CTV News
4 days ago
- CTV News
Police arrest teen in connection with a paddleboarder's killing in a pond in rural Maine
Crawford Pond is seen Wednesday, July 9, 2025, in Union, Maine. Police are investigating the murder of a woman last seen paddleboarding on the pond. (AP Photo/Robert F. Bukaty) PORTLAND, Maine — Police in Maine said Thursday they have arrested a 17-year-old state resident in connection with the killing of a paddleboarder who went missing on a rural pond. The body of Sunshine Stewart, 48, of Tenants Harbor, was found this month on Crawford Pond in Union, about 80 miles (130 kilometres) north of Portland. The killing shocked and scared the community, where trips to the pond and nearby campground are a summertime staple. Maine State Police said a teenager was taken into custody without incident in Union on Wednesday night. Police did not say why he was arrested or if he was charged, and they declined to release any other information about him as the investigation is ongoing. The state attorney general's office declined to comment about possible charges. The Office of Chief Medical Examiner in Augusta determined Stewart's cause of death was strangulation and blunt force trauma, police said. Police have asked for information from anyone who may have seen Stewart paddleboarding on July 2 between 6 p.m. and 9 p.m. near 100 Acre Island on Crawford Pond or who have any other information related to the case. Stewart lived about 21 miles (34 kilometres) from the pond, which is a popular summer destination about 15 miles (24 kilometres) from the scenic coastal areas of the state's midcoast region. The pond, in the 2,400-resident town of Union, is approximately 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 centre 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 asked residents to remain aware of their surroundings and report suspicious behavior. Loved ones of Stewart, who was known as 'Sunny' to friends, launched a GoFundMe page in her honor that had raised more than $33,000 by Thursday to help celebrate her life. The page said memorial service dates were being determined. Patrick Whittle, The Associated Press
