A Maine judge has determined that Deven Young, the teenager accused of murdering a paddleboarder last summer, is competent to stand trial, removing an initial legal obstacle in a case that has so far proceeded behind the closed doors of juvenile court. In a ruling issued April 29, District Court Judge Eric J. Walker wrote that Young, now 18, “has a rational, as well as a factual, understanding of the proceedings and a sufficient present ability to consult with legal counsel with a reasonable degree of rational understanding.” The decision sets the stage for a hearing on May 7, when state prosecutors are expected to argue that Young should be tried as an adult.
Young was 17 on July 2, 2025, when Stewart went missing while paddleboarding on Crawford Pond, a popular swimming and boating spot in rural Union, Maine. Her body was discovered the next day. Police have said a medical examiner determined her cause of death was strangulation and blunt force trauma. Authorities charged Young with murder about two weeks later. Court documents briefly made public offered little detail beyond the statement that Young “did intentionally or knowingly cause the death of another human being, namely Sunshine Stewart.” The documents were later removed from the state’s courts website.
No motive has been publicly disclosed. The Waldo County Sheriff’s Office made audio recordings that were obtained by news agencies earlier this year, providing details about Young’s history of violent behavior and mental health challenges before Stewart’s death. The Portland Press Herald reported that he had been waiting for behavioral health services from the state. Jeremy Pratt, an attorney for Young, declined to comment on the competency ruling, as did prosecutors.
Stewart, who lived about 21 miles from the pond in the Tenants Harbor neighborhood of St. George, worked over the years as a fisherman, boat captain, biologist, carpenter, and bartender, friends have said. Last August, her family and friends held a maritime memorial service in Tenants Harbor. A procession of boats, some decorated with flowers, carried pictures of Stewart smiling and a large sign that read “Shine On.”