ME-Missing paddle boarder Sunshine Stewart Found Dead by Homicide, Union 02 July 2025

[Detechtive]

This is on the MicMac campground review site - i wonder if they're referring to him? He would have been about 10.

https://www.tripadvisor.com.au/Hotel_Review-g40931-d3384326-Reviews-Mic_Mac_Cove_Campground-Union_Maine.html

 

[jesse]

No, we don't know yet if DY spent time at that particular resort, but we're getting close to it:

"An official familiar with the investigation told ABC News that Young spends vacation time in the Crawford Pond area each summer with his family."

What we know about Deven Young, the teen charged in Union murder

The 17-year-old from Frankfort reportedly spends vacation time in the area of Crawford Pond, which is where authorities say he killed Sunshine "Sunny" Stewart.

www.wmtw.com

They were at Mic Mac last year and this year.

They seem to be big on hunting and fishing.

 

[waldojabba]

Here are some MSM links about Devon Young and when he stayed at the Mic Mac campground.

'It's a lot to take in': Neighbors shocked after Maine teen charged with Union murder

New details were released Friday in a case that rocked Midcoast Maine and got national attention: the murder of a paddleboarder more than two weeks ago.

wgme.com

"The accused teen and his family had recently stayed at Mic Mac Family Campground in Union, where Stewart was a seasonal camper."
Court documents identify Maine teen charged with murder of paddleboarder
An official familiar with the investigation told ABC News that the suspect spends vacation time in the Crawford Pond area each summer with his family.

There is a lot of info floating around on social media but not much of it has made its way into MSM

JMO

 

[jesse]

[snip]

<modsnip - posting more than 10% is a copyright violation - see link>


Lunt said she does not have details on what led to the killing of Stewart. The affidavits (police reports filed with the court) have been impounded but may be released in a month at the next court hearing for Young.
State Police released the cause of Stewart's death after Young's arrest. Stewart, 48, had been strangled and suffered blunt force trauma.

State Police Turned Attention to Teen After He Claimed to Have Information on Stewart's Murder

Bbm

 

[Inthedetails]

Earlier in the investigation, State Police had reviewed surveillance videos from the campground. Lunt said she reviewed the videos after the arrest was made. The videos showed Deven Young had gone out in his aluminum boat before Stewart. The boat has a motor and oars. Stewart left at 6 p.m. to go paddleboarding on Crawford Pond. Young later could be seen returning to the campground in his boat.


Bbm

snipped, bbm

Oars could be used to inflict blunt-force trauma, fwiw.

I still am thinking (not based on fact, just speculation), that he accidently or recklessly hit her with the boat while motoring around the lake and then PANICKED, killing her to hide what he did.

That's my working theory at the moment, subject to change as we learn more.

jmo

 

[AngTxGal]

View attachment 602687
This is on the MicMac campground review site - i wonder if they're referring to him? He would have been about 10.

https://www.tripadvisor.com.au/Hotel_Review-g40931-d3384326-Reviews-Mic_Mac_Cove_Campground-Union_Maine.html

Wow, I took a look at the Mic Mac Campground website and see zero rules listed except about additional people and pets.

The rules at campgrounds here in Texas where I’ve stayed are strict, both public parks and private.
Pretty Common Rules posted and handed to people as they arrive would included these-
10PM is quiet time
Number of people at each site is limited
Cars at each site is limited
No parties
In some camping grounds open alcohol is not allowed, nothing in your hand can look like an alcoholic drink- no beer cans, you can put it in a coozie or pour into a cup
No glass bottles or containers at sites is pretty standard

Most are setup to be welcoming to families
Camping is very popular, sites are booked months to years in advance.
Simply leaving to find another place to go isn’t a reality.
So, people don’t tolerate someone messing up their long awaited spot.
They complain
Demand a refund

IMO- It sounds like if they had rules no one was enforcing them as per the person who posted a complain to the travel blog

I saw in some reports Sunny Stewart is described by the campground owner as a ‘seasonal’ camper- so she was familiar with the campgrounds and had stayed there before.

 

[DS2021]

View attachment 602687
This is on the MicMac campground review site - i wonder if they're referring to him? He would have been about 10.

https://www.tripadvisor.com.au/Hotel_Review-g40931-d3384326-Reviews-Mic_Mac_Cove_Campground-Union_Maine.html

Would not have been him. The camp owner said 2024 was the families first summer out there.

Deven had never been kicked out of the camp, and no one mentioned his name to the camp owner after sunny was killed

 

[waldojabba]

jeremy Pratt is Deven's lawyer of record atm. Here is Jeremy's linkedin and his company website

https://www.linkedin.com/in/jeremy-pratt-91611b256/

P&S

Pratt + Simmons A Litigation Firm

www.midcoastlaw.com

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.

Teen charged with murder in killing of paddleboarder in small Maine town

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.”

nypost.com

 

[miss marble]

snipped, bbm

Oars could be used to inflict blunt-force trauma, fwiw.

I still am thinking (not based on fact, just speculation), that he accidently or recklessly hit her with the boat while motoring around the lake and then PANICKED, killing her to hide what he did.

That's my working theory at the moment, subject to change as we learn more.

jmo

I personally don't think there was anything accidental about this horrific and brutal attack.
Based on what we know about the area and the time of the attack, this was a large expanse of water and would have been quiet after 6pm when Sunshine went out on her paddleboard (hence lack of witnesses), so if there was an initial collision between his boat and the paddleboard, it would have been deliberate and most likely premeditated imo.

 

[AngTxGal]

snipped, bbm

Oars could be used to inflict blunt-force trauma, fwiw.

I still am thinking (not based on fact, just speculation), that he accidently or recklessly hit her with the boat while motoring around the lake and then PANICKED, killing her to hide what he did.

That's my working theory at the moment, subject to change as we learn more.

jmo

The description says DY had an aluminum boat, if it has a motor and oars probably a John Boat, not a speed boat.
It would be a fishing boat, usually have an outboard motor, or trolling motor.
Speed is not what they are known for- so if he could see her there would be no reason to hit her.
When did it get dark, was it at night and near a dock?

I would assume if she intended to paddle board at night she would have some kind of reflective clothing or lights so people could see her at night
Do people paddle board at night? I haven’t a clue.

What time is sunset in Maine in the summer? I don’t know.
Currently here in Texas sunset is 8:30PM or so.

Timeline- Is this correct?
6PM July 2 went out to paddle-board
DY was seen returning back to his campsite in his boat- What time?
Early morning July 3- her body is found


IMO

 

[Spectrix]

What time is sunset in Maine in the summer? I don’t know.
Currently here in Texas sunset is 8:30PM or so.

Sunset was 8:27pm and it was almost full moon.

 

[angelainwi]

Would not have been him. The camp owner said 2024 was the families first summer out there.

Deven had never been kicked out of the camp, and no one mentioned his name to the camp owner after sunny was killed

He appears to have pictures of the pond on his FB from earlier years than that...

 

[waldojabba]

[snip]

<modsnip - posting more than 10% is a copyright violation - see link>


Lunt said she does not have details on what led to the killing of Stewart. The affidavits (police reports filed with the court) have been impounded but may be released in a month at the next court hearing for Young.
State Police released the cause of Stewart's death after Young's arrest. Stewart, 48, had been strangled and suffered blunt force trauma.

State Police Turned Attention to Teen After He Claimed to Have Information on Stewart's Murder

Bbm

Great article

Interesting that all the information is from the owner of the campground. I wonder if she checked in first with the MSP ?
" The owner of the Mic Mac Cove Family Campground offered more details July 19 on the investigation that led to the arrest of 17-year-old Deven Young in the death of Sunshine "Sunny" Stewart.
Owner Katharine Lunt said now that an arrest has been made, she feels comfortable giving out the information to the public."
IIRC the state police had indicated that they would not be making further statements as its an active investigation.
"This remains and an active and ongoing investigation. No additional information is being released at this time
."Maine State Police Make Arrest in Union Homicide Investigation | Maine State Police

So jumping off that - I hope that none of this infomation told thru the "owner's lens" jepordizes the investigation in any fashion.

I am also mindful that she wants to protect her business and her bookings at the top of high season and also try and mitigate any talk of law suits I imagine.

One thing in particular jumped out to me :
"State Police were asking and collecting voluntary DNA samples from campers. On Wednesday, July 16, when State Police were back at the campground, Deven Young approached the investigators and said he had some information and had seen something pertaining to the case. Young went out on Crawford Pond in a boat with the investigators and a game warden, leading them to the opposite end of 100-Acre Island from where Stewart's body was found. When they returned to the campground, police continue to interview Deven."

So Deven was out alone with LE on a boat voluntarily per the Ms Lunt? At what point was he a suspect and at what point was he read his rights etc.?

I personally feel uncomfortable that this information was all released by the owner/with the owners perspective. Through my lens it is ill advised and perhaps self serving( unless of course approved by MSP) IMO

JMO

 

[nao]

Moo...Deven left before Sunny. So it was not predatory as in he saw her leave and followed. People are very serious and possessive about their favorite fishing spots. Maybe Sunny ran through his fishing lines, and he reacted with wacking her with a paddle, or maybe it started as a verbal dispute....moo

 

[no greed]

Great article

Interesting that all the information is from the owner of the campground. I wonder if she checked in first with the MSP ?
" The owner of the Mic Mac Cove Family Campground offered more details July 19 on the investigation that led to the arrest of 17-year-old Deven Young in the death of Sunshine "Sunny" Stewart.
Owner Katharine Lunt said now that an arrest has been made, she feels comfortable giving out the information to the public."
IIRC the state police had indicated that they would not be making further statements as its an active investigation.
"This remains and an active and ongoing investigation. No additional information is being released at this time
."Maine State Police Make Arrest in Union Homicide Investigation | Maine State Police

So jumping off that - I hope that none of this infomation told thru the "owner's lens" jepordizes the investigation in any fashion.

I am also mindful that she wants to protect her business and her bookings at the top of high season and also try and mitigate any talk of law suits I imagine.

One thing in particular jumped out to me :
"State Police were asking and collecting voluntary DNA samples from campers. On Wednesday, July 16, when State Police were back at the campground, Deven Young approached the investigators and said he had some information and had seen something pertaining to the case. Young went out on Crawford Pond in a boat with the investigators and a game warden, leading them to the opposite end of 100-Acre Island from where Stewart's body was found. When they returned to the campground, police continue to interview Deven."

So Deven was out alone with LE on a boat voluntarily per the Ms Lunt? At what point was he a suspect and at what point was he read his rights etc.?

I personally feel uncomfortable that this information was all released by the owner/with the owners perspective. Through my lens it is ill advised and perhaps self serving( unless of course approved by MSP) IMO

JMO

I hope LE have physical evidence to support the confession of Devon. I am always skeptical of confessions made by young people after hours of police interviews and interrogations. Perhaps he had information that only his presence would explain. I am always more comfortable with convictions that have DNA or other physical evidence linking the suspect.

 

[Inthedetails]

I hope LE have physical evidence to support the confession of Devon. I am always skeptical of confessions made by young people after hours of police interviews and interrogations. Perhaps he had information that only his presence would explain. I am always more comfortable with convictions that have DNA or other physical evidence linking the suspect.

I'm assuming they have DNA since LE asked males around the lake to submit DNA. I suppose that could've been a bluff, but I think there is DNA plus whatever info DY shared with LE in the first meeting - when he led them to the opposite end of the island.

FWIW, I think this case is tight.

jmo

 

[charminglane]

Perhaps Sunny did a paddle around every night since her arrival and DY knew that?
Hence, he went out ahead of her.

 

[Cedars]

I'm assuming they have DNA since LE asked males around the lake to submit DNA. I suppose that could've been a bluff, but I think there is DNA plus whatever info DY shared with LE in the first meeting - when he led them to the opposite end of the island.

FWIW, I think this case is tight.

jmo

Good point - I agree they wouldn't request DNA unless they had it. They have to have 'probable cause' to demand that from potentially innocent people. Just like, they can't just search everyone's campsite to make it seem like they're looking for something, to trick the perp, etc.

 

[RedHaus]

I personally feel uncomfortable that this information was all released by the owner/with the owners perspective. Through my lens it is ill advised and perhaps self serving( unless of course approved by MSP) IMO

While this article was interesting, I agree with you. I suspect the camp owner has now received a cease and desist order from the AG office, and we won't see another peep from her for a while.

 

[Chimera]

IF this perp was troublesome before now (--as he's still a minor !) it will be difficult to prove since it'd be the other camper's 'word' against his.
Like, he might say, "What ? I never did that....". Etc.

I am seriously doubting he graduated to murder, but he was a fine, upstanding, and helpful youth before now !!!!!!!
Skeptical to the Nth degree.
Imo.