A judge in Maine has ruled that an 18-year-old charged with murder in the death of a paddleboarder is competent to stand trial. Deven Young, of Frankfort, faces charges for the killing of Sunshine “Sunny” Stewart, 48, of St. George, whose body was found near Crawford Pond in July last year.
District Court Judge Eric J. Walker issued the ruling on Wednesday, stating that Young has a rational and factual understanding of the proceedings and can consult with legal counsel. Young, who was 17 at the time of the incident, had previously been treated as a juvenile, but prosecutors are seeking to try him as an adult.
Stewart’s cause of death was determined to be strangulation and blunt force trauma. Police have not disclosed a possible motive. Court documents briefly made public stated that Young “did intentionally or knowingly cause the death of another human being.”
Young’s attorney, Jeremy Pratt, declined to comment, as did prosecutors. Young is due back in court on May 7. The case has shocked the community near Crawford Pond, where Stewart went missing while paddleboarding on July 2. Her body was found the next day.
Stewart, who worked as a fisherman, boat captain, biologist, carpenter and bartender, was remembered in a maritime service last August, with a procession of boats decorated with flowers and a sign reading “Shine On.”
