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Court to try 19-year-old charged in death of Maine paddleboarder as an adult

Court to try 19-year-old charged in death of Maine paddleboarder as an adult

Sunshine "Sunny" Stewart. Photo: GoFundMe Photo: 560 WGAN Newsradio


The 19-year-old accused of killing paddleboarder Sunny Stewart on Crawford Pond in Union last year will be tried as an adult.

Deven Young, who was 17 at the time of the murder, waived his right to a bind over hearing in court on Friday, which means the case heads directly to adult court.

48-year-old Sunshine Stewart, who went by Sunny, was found dead in July 2025 after she failed to return from a solo paddleboarding trip.

The medical examiner said that her cause of death was strangulation and blunt force trauma.

Young and his family were camping in the area when Stewart was killed.

Young is expected to be transferred from Knox County Jail to Two Bridges Jail in Wiscasset.

He faces 25 years to life behind bars if convicted.

 

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