Prosecutors seek to try 17-year-old as an adult in Maine paddleboarder's death

PORTLAND, Maine (AP) — Prosecutors in Maine said Monday they will seek to try a 17-year-old charged with murder in the death of a paddleboarder as an adult.

The body of Sunshine “Sunny” Stewart, 48, of St. George, was found earlier this month on Crawford Pond in Union, about 80 miles (130 kilometers) north of Portland in a part of the state beloved by summer campers and nature lovers. Stewart went missing while paddleboarding before her killing, and her death sent shockwaves through the local community.

Police charged Deven Young, of Frankfort, Maine, with murder in the death of Stewart last week. He has been held at a youth detention facility in the Portland area and is due in court for a status conference on Aug. 22.

The Office of the Maine Attorney General is moving to bind Young over so he can be tried as an adult, said Danna Hayes, a spokesperson for the office. A judge will need to rule on the request.

The motion to try Young as an adult has been impounded by court and is not publicly available, Hayes said.

“Although the court allowed us to release the name of the defendant, all of the other documents remain impounded, so we do not have additional information we can share at this time,” Hayes said.

Young made a brief initial court appearance on Friday in which he entered a denial to the charge. His attorney, Jeremy Pratt, declined to comment Monday. If convicted of murder as an adult, Young faces a prison sentence of 25 years to life.

A medical examiner determined Stewart’s cause of death was strangulation and blunt force trauma, police have said.

Authorities have not revealed a motive. Court documents released about the case contain little detail, and Maine State Police have declined to comment beyond announcing the arrest last week. They've said the investigation into Stewart's death is still active.

Stewart lived about 21 miles (34 kilometers) from the pond in the Tenants Harbor neighborhood in St. George.

Friends of Stewart have described her as a fiercely independent adventurer who was deeply dedicated to her friends. Over the years, she worked as a fisherman, boat captain, carpenter and bartender, among other jobs, friends said.

“She was just a wonderful friend, a really loyal, wonderful friend,” said a lifelong friend, Bethany Leach Parmley of Washington, Maine. “She was just so fun and funny and you couldn't help but have a good time around her.”

The pond, in the 2,400-resident town of Union, is about 600 acres (243 hectares) and does not have public access. It is available for a variety of uses, including boating and fishing. The 100 Acre Island preserve in the center of the pond is a wooded island reachable by canoe, kayak or paddleboard from a nearby campground.

Crawford Pond is seen Wednesday, July 9, 2025, in Union, Maine. Police are investigating the murder of a woman last seen paddleboarding on the pond. (AP Photo/Robert F. Bukaty)

Campers ride a golf cart to the Mic Mac Cove Campground, Wednesday, July 9, 2025, in Union, Maine, where police have used the campground to access Crawford Pond to investigate the murder of a woman last seen paddleboarding on the pond. (AP Photo/Robert F. Bukaty)

Crawford Pond in Union, Maine, is seen Wednesday, July 9, 2025. (AP Photo/Robert F. Bukaty)

Crawford Pond is seen Wednesday, July 9, 2025, in Union, Maine. Police are investigating the murder of a woman last seen paddleboarding on the pond. (AP Photo/Robert F. Bukaty)

ISLAMABAD (AP) — A gas cylinder explosion early Sunday after a wedding reception at a home in Pakistan’s capital killed at least eight people, including the bride and groom, police and officials said.

The blast occurred as guests who had gathered to celebrate the couple were sleeping at the house, causing part of the house to collapse, according to the Islamabad police. Seven people were injured.

In a statement, police said the explosion occurred in a residential area in the heart of the city. A government administrator, Sahibzada Yousaf, said authorities were alerted about the blast early Sunday and officers are still investigating. He said some nearby homes were also damaged.

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif expressed grief over the loss of lives and offered condolences to the victims’ families, according to a statement from his office. He directed health authorities to ensure the injured receive the best possible treatment and ordered a full investigation.

Many Pakistani households rely on liquefied petroleum gas cylinders because of low natural gas pressure, and such cylinders have been linked to deadly accidents caused by gas leaks. Police said investigations were ongoing.

Government officials survey the damage of a home caused by a gas cylinder explosion hours after a wedding reception, in Islamabad, Pakistan, Sunday, Jan. 11, 2026. (AP Photo/Ehsan Shahzad)