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

  • #241
There's a first time for everything?

I guess it's not clear that the phrase "sexual homicide" applies here, but I'm going to link this old FBI bulletin on the subject, because it gives a great, concise overview of the profiling basics that often apply in a case like this.

In a nutshell:

Sexual homicide offenders typically experience significant trauma ("conflict" is actually the word used) as a child.

Unlike others who may share a similar background, they are unable to develop sufficient coping methods, and they grow to feel hostile towards a world that they feel is hostile towards them. They seek revenge on that world, and their eventual crimes are motivated, at least in part, simply by a desire to shock and outrage the public.

Their crimes tend to be generally premeditated in the form of obsessive fantasy, which provides an escape from the world. But often, their actual crimes are simply committed after an opportunity presents itself, without an existing personal motive.

These offenders typically fall on on a spectrum; on one end you have the disorganizaed asocial offender, who feels overwhelmed by his hostility and is inclined to internalize or repress it to some effect. He tends to be the nice, quiet type that people assume is not capable of such a crime. While he is capable of such a crime, he sticks to familiar locations and his crimes are (relatively) less brutal and poorly planned.

On the other end, you get the organized nonsocial offender, who is able to pursue his desires without reserve. In lieu of being a pychopath-ish individual who is able to do a good job of hiding his true feelings & character, he is likely to come across as a bit angry, or confrontational, or otherwise as a trouble maker, and he may develop a criminal record as a teenager. He is willing to hunt for victims and to offend in less than familiar locations. He is also the type who enjoys cat & mouse games, etc.

Deven Young has been said to have "mental heath struggles," there are unconfirmed (possibly untrue) rumors that he was quite the trouble maker, and after allegedly committing this crime...he supposedly continued to act normal and even posted a photo of a lobster boat to his FB page. I believe he was allegedly the one to approach police after they initially did not approach him?

In any event, he definitely appears to potentially (if not probably) fit that organized nonsocial category pretty well. If so, it's quite possible that he simply saw an opportunity, and he decided to act on it. It doesn't always have to be more complicated than that.
 
  • #242
wish I had seen his tiktok prior to it being removed. Sounds like that is where the red flags may have been.
 
  • #243
There's a first time for everything?

I guess it's not clear that the phrase "sexual homicide" applies here, but I'm going to link this old FBI bulletin on the subject, because it gives a great, concise overview of the profiling basics that often apply in a case like this.

In a nutshell:

Sexual homicide offenders typically experience significant trauma ("conflict" is actually the word used) as a child.

Unlike others who may share a similar background, they are unable to develop sufficient coping methods, and they grow to feel hostile towards a world that they feel is hostile towards them. They seek revenge on that world, and their eventual crimes are motivated, at least in part, simply by a desire to shock and outrage the public.

Their crimes tend to be generally premeditated in the form of obsessive fantasy, which provides an escape from the world. But often, their actual crimes are simply committed after an opportunity presents itself, without an existing personal motive.

These offenders typically fall on on a spectrum; on one end you have the disorganizaed asocial offender, who feels overwhelmed by his hostility and is inclined to internalize or repress it to some effect. He tends to be the nice, quiet type that people assume is not capable of such a crime. While he is capable of such a crime, he sticks to familiar locations and his crimes are (relatively) less brutal and poorly planned.

On the other end, you get the organized nonsocial offender, who is able to pursue his desires without reserve. In lieu of being a pychopath-ish individual who is able to do a good job of hiding his true feelings & character, he is likely to come across as a bit angry, or confrontational, or otherwise as a trouble maker, and he may develop a criminal record as a teenager. He is willing to hunt for victims and to offend in less than familiar locations. He is also the type who enjoys cat & mouse games, etc.

Deven Young has been said to have "mental heath struggles," there are unconfirmed (possibly untrue) rumors that he was quite the trouble maker, and after allegedly committing this crime...he supposedly continued to act normal and even posted a photo of a lobster boat to his FB page. I believe he was allegedly the one to approach police after they initially did not approach him?

In any event, he definitely appears to potentially (if not probably) fit that organized nonsocial category pretty well. If so, it's quite possible that he simply saw an opportunity, and he decided to act on it. It doesn't always have to be more complicated than that.
Agreed. A crime of opportunity. The situation presented itself/ just the two of them no one around.
As far as his lawyer trying for NG reason of insanity/ off his meds /. I think we have enough information about his behavior immediately after the crime and in the weeks that follow to certainly contradict that.
The owner describes his behavior as Boy Scout like. Helpful to others etc. Nothing unusual.
I sense he has zero nada zilch for a conscience
Stone cold
I imagine if he had been taking any psychiatric meds - if he started up again there would be a lag time before they built up in his system and affected his behavior.
This guy needs to never roam free.
IMO

JMO
 
  • #244
The thing that's so strange about this to me is, if he came at her in a threatening manner, I can't believe that she didn't scream or thrash in the water? Sound carries so loudly and fast across water. When people are on their boats on the lake in front of our cottage, I can hear their whole conversations and they are not shouting or being attacked.

That is exactly my thoughts- why didn’t she scream or call attention to herself and him in some way?
I don’t know the layout of that island, it seems to be some kind of preserve.
Maybe people weren’t around?
He also could have hit her in the head with something to subdue her.

I can vaguely remember a time when I did not feel vulnerable around strange men, and that ended at about 15 or 16. Women don’t talk about it much but all of us have felt like prey, and that we must have an angel on our shoulder to have not been this kind of victim. It happens all too often
Of all places in the world- this place appears to have been about as safe and tranquil as you can find- that is what is so troubling to me.


IMO
 
  • #245
That is exactly my thoughts- why didn’t she scream or call attention to herself and him in some way?
I don’t know the layout of that island, it seems to be some kind of preserve.
Maybe people weren’t around?
He also could have hit her in the head with something to subdue her.

I can vaguely remember a time when I did not feel vulnerable around strange men, and that ended at about 15 or 16. Women don’t talk about it much but all of us have felt like prey, and that we must have an angel on our shoulder to have not been this kind of victim. It happens all too often
Of all places in the world- this place appears to have been about as safe and tranquil as you can find- that is what is so troubling to me.


IMO
Some people go completely silent when in fear
 
  • #246
An interview with Mic Mac Campground owner, interesting

K Lunt- Good Morning America

K Lunt- discusses her interactions with DY, and Sunny.
Reviewing camera footage to find out where DY was, with a fishing boat.
Contacting authorities
Two week investigation- and DY was in the campground during that time.
DY helping the case- took LE in the opposite direction

IMO
 
  • #247
Some people go completely silent when in fear

I get that some people react differently, but she does not strike me as someone that would freeze in a crisis. She had a background doing manual labor on the water- as a lobster fisherman with her own boat and other occupations.
That is someone that can control their panic and does very well in a crisis.
So- it seems she was surprised, but she fought and… lost

IMO
 
  • #248
I get that some people react differently, but she does not strike me as someone that would freeze in a crisis. She had a background doing manual labor on the water- as a lobster fisherman with her own boat and other occupations.
That is someone that can control their panic and does very well in a crisis.
So- it seems she was surprised, but she fought and… lost

IMO
Moo... I think you answered your own question.
She has a background of physical work, she is confident in herself physically and mentally, calmness is needed in much of her work/life choices. I would not expect her scream. It would be at odds with her personality....moo
 
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  • #249
Moo... I think you answered your own question.
She has a background of physical work, she is confident in herself physically and mentally, calmness is needed in much of her work/life choices. I would not expect her scream. It would be at odds with her personality....moo

The info presented does seem to indicate that she was fit. She might even be lethal with an oar in hand.

I wonder if she was paddling on her board and he 'buzzed' her in his boat maybe getting an angry response and/or a curse word or two. Maybe even spilling her into the water. It would be a jackass thing to do but fits his persona.

If she's in the water it would be harder to swing an oar at an aggressor.
 
  • #250
IF as has been reported, LE was focused on collecting male DNA from fellow campers, IMO, the most likely reason is because they found biological evidence that SA occurred. JMO
Maybe, or maybe just DNA under her fingernails..There were rumors to that effect.
 
  • #251
JMO -- 1) she saw him doing something he thought he would get in trouble for. Depending on his parents, this may or may not have been a thing that most teens would worry about, but it caused him to panic; 2) or he came upon her alone and had unrealistic ideas, which she rejected. I can see myself paddling to an island alone and getting the impulse to skinny dip at dusk, for example; 3) they argued over some type of boat/board interaction.
 
  • #252
Do we know if he attacked her while she was in the water or on the shore?

The possible scenarios I see are 1) he catcalled or yelled something at her and she talked back, being used to working in gruff environments and not afraid to stand up for herself, and he did not like that 2) he tried to steal from her (taking paddleboard or belongings on the shore?) and she fought back 3) budding psychopath type where he killed her with no inherent motive or interaction beforehand
 
  • #253
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
inserting himself into the investigation...sketchy
 
  • #254
Yes, a teen attacking an adult woman they do not know is in common for these two cases, but
The difference is an expectation of safety due to the location.

Karina Vetrano was where the crime rate was much higher, usually she went with her Dad.
Rural Maine is not one of those places. No one would imagine a woman on a paddle board on a rural small lake/ campground in Maine would be murdered by a teenage boy.

What we do know is it took only 5 hours to convict KV’s murderer the second time around. He was acquitted the first time. He was sentenced to life in prison.
I hope that feels like justice to her family- it’s been about ten years now. Her mother became a loud advocate for justice, it took two trials. The description of her father when he found her body is heart wrenching.

IMO
Her case definitely still haunts me. Just terrifying
 
  • #255
inserting himself into the investigation...sketchy
Yep !
Darn right.
As if he thought he was waaay smarter than those pesky cops. :rolleyes:

An ultra-inflated sense of self-worth, or no one liked to say 'no' to him, and there were zero consequences for his bad behavior ??
Unfreaking-believable if that was the case.
Imo.

Her case definitely still haunts me. Just terrifying

Have to say I teared up looking at her photos ... out in the sun busy enjoying life.
She was aptly named !
Rest in gentle peace, Sunshine !!
 
  • #256
I would be shocked if the suspect, DY, does not have a history of mental health issues and/or behavioral issues. In one MSM article it states that DY was a student at Hampden Academy (a high school) until 2023. Did he dropout? Get expelled? Has he been homeschooled for the past 2 years? I wonder what his relationship with peers was like? Is he a loner? Was he bullied (possibly for his size--listed as 5ft 8inches and 250 pounds)?

I theorize this was a crime of opportunity, and that SS was attacked on the island as opposed to on the water. Motive could be power/control, thrill kill, or SA (possibly incel).
 
  • #257
The info presented does seem to indicate that she was fit. She might even be lethal with an oar in hand.

I wonder if she was paddling on her board and he 'buzzed' her in his boat maybe getting an angry response and/or a curse word or two. Maybe even spilling her into the water. It would be a jackass thing to do but fits his persona.

If she's in the water it would be harder to swing an oar at an aggressor.

Very true- and it is tough to scream if someone is pushing your head under the water, too.

Sick and sad

IMO
 
  • #258
Moo... I think you answered your own question.
She has a background of physical work, she is confident in herself physically and mentally, calmness is needed in much of her work/life choices. I would not expect her scream. It would be at odds with her personality....moo

Not really- I associate a No scream with freezing in a crisis, not calmness.
A woman screaming for help to me would not be freaking out or weakness- it is exactly what any person should do if they are fearful of their life in a physical battle. Even men!

She looks small and scrappy in her pics- not tall and heavy bodied.
He looks tall and large- and is a 17 yr old male.

Is it likely she could win that fight. No- the stats of women losing in physical confrontations is evidence enough to support she most likely would be overpowered against him.

I think he dunked her, or hit her, or choked her when she attempted to scream, and people were not around, and may have been after dark. That is my speculation-
If she had gotten in a solid blow before he attacked her- we may have a very different situation.

I would expect him to have injuries- but they have not been mentioned. She would have left marks if she could have- don’t you think?

IMO
 
  • #259
Do we know if he attacked her while she was in the water or on the shore?

The possible scenarios I see are 1) he catcalled or yelled something at her and she talked back, being used to working in gruff environments and not afraid to stand up for herself, and he did not like that 2) he tried to steal from her (taking paddleboard or belongings on the shore?) and she fought back 3) budding psychopath type where he killed her with no inherent motive or interaction beforehand

To be fair, the logistics involved with blunt force trauma and strangulation don't exactly lend themselves to a water based attack.
Also, strangulation in itself suggests that the motive was of a sexual nature.

Locals reported that Sunny's body had been found on land by the waters edge, on the South East part of the island near the causeway, I think it's likely the attack was carried out pretty much where she lay.

I'm interested whether she happened to be exploring the island on her own accord or she was lured to the shore under false pretences ("Ma'am, do you know anything about outboard motors, I can't seem to get it started...").

.
 
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  • #260
To be fair, the logistics involved with blunt force trauma and strangulation don't exactly lend themselves to a water based attack.
Also, the strangulation itself suggests that the motive was of a sexual nature.

Locals reported that Sunny's body had been found on land by the waters edge, on the South East part of the island near the causeway, so I think it's likely the attack was carried out in that vicinity.

I'm interested whether she happened to be exploring the island on her own accord or she was lured to the shore under false pretences ("Ma'am, do you know anything about outboard motors, I can't seem to get it started...").
Since Sunshine seems to have such a likeable personality, I wonder if they encountered each other on the island and she greeted him. Perhaps he mistook her friendliness in a way that made him get excited and also realize he could overpower her without anyone seeing.

idk. Just tossing ideas around.

jmopinion
 

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