Sunshine Stewart, 48, was found dead after going missing, and police charged 17-year-old Deven Young, of Frankfort, Maine, with murder in connection with her death.<\/b>
\nSunshine Stewart, 48, was found dead after going missing, and police charged 17-year-old Deven Young, of Frankfort, Maine, with murder in connection with her death.
ST. GEORGE, Maine Friends and family of a Maine woman whose killing on a rural pond shocked the community celebrated her life with a maritime service on Sunday.
Sunshine Stewart, 48, of St. George, went missing in July while paddleboarding on Crawford Pond, a popular summer destination in Union. She was later found dead, and police charged Deven Young, 17, of Frankfort, Maine, with murder in connection with her death.
Stewart\u2019s loved ones called Sunday\u2019s memorial a \u201cmaritime celebration of life.\u201d The memorial included a procession of boats, some decked out with flowers, in the Tenants Harbor section of St. George, where Stewart lived.
The event was to honor \u201cthe radiant life of Sunshine \u2018Sunny\u2019 Stewart \u2014 a woman whose light touched every soul she met,\u201d promoters said in a social media post.
The Office of the Maine Attorney General has said it is seeking to try Young as an adult. A judge will need to rule on that request. Young is due in court for a status conference Aug. 22.
Young made a brief initial court appearance last month in which he entered a denial to the murder charge. His attorney, Jeremy Pratt, has declined to comment.
Authorities have released few details about the killing and have not publicly speculated about a motive. Maine State Police spokesperson Shannon Moss said the investigation into Stewart\u2019s death is still active and \u201cwill be for some time.\u201d
Stewart lived about 20 miles (34 kilometers) from the pond where she was killed. The pond is popular with boaters and fishermen and is the site of a campground. Police have said a medical examiner determined Stewart\u2019s cause of death was strangulation and blunt force trauma.
In the weeks since the killing, friends of Stewart have memorialized her as an independent spirit, a dedicated friend and a lover of the ocean and the outdoors. She took a varied career path through life, working as a biologist, fisherman, carpenter, and in many other roles, friends said.
Bethany Leach Parmley, a lifelong friend, described Stewart as \u201ca really loyal, wonderful friend.\u201d<\/p>\n