Deven and his parents arrived at Mic Mac Cove Campground in Union, Maine, in early July, around the same time Sunshine Stewart, 48, was found strangled and beaten to death in Crawford Lake.
According to authorities, Stewart left Mic Mac Cove for the lake between 6 p.m. and 9 p.m. on July 2. She was an experienced paddleboarder and enjoyed outdoor activities.
That evening, campground owner Katherine Lunt saw Stewart's friend searching the shoreline with a flashlight and joined in. Both Stewart and her blue paddleboard were missing.
"Maybe she got hit by a boat. We didn't know why she hadn’t come back," Lunt said. Six hours after Stewart's disappearance, Lunt contacted the police, initiating a multi-agency search.
According to Lunt, Deven seemed eager to help, urgently telling police he "had something to show them." However, he directed officers away from the location where Stewart's body was later discovered, leading them on a "wild goose chase."
In the early morning hours of July 3, two local residents found the paddleboard, which helped rescuers locate Stewart's body around 1 a.m. in Crawford Lake. The area was accessible only by boat. A subsequent autopsy confirmed she was murdered.
Two days after the murder, Deven posted a photo on Facebook, responding to a friend's comment that he was "still having a good time" on his camping trip. At that time, he was not a suspect.
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17-year-old Deven Young posted a photo "enjoying his camping trip." Photo: Facebook |
17-year-old Deven Young posted a photo "enjoying his camping trip." Photo: Facebook
Lunt said police and her staff reviewed security footage from around the lake, trying to find any trace of Stewart or someone who might have entered the campground and harmed her. "I was looking for a stranger, for someone unusual, definitely not looking for a kid," Lunt said.
Deven was described as polite but "awkward" and enjoyed paddling out on the 6-acre lake. Lunt said he helped other campers with yard work and pet care, and made wood crafts for neighbors.
After two weeks of reviewing evidence at the campground, police interviewed Deven for several hours on July 16 and arrested him that evening. He was charged with murder in connection with Stewart's death.
Lunt then reexamined the surveillance video from the time of Stewart's disappearance and noticed the teenager appeared to be on the lake around that time, returning to shore before dark.
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Sunshine Stewart, 48, was found dead in Crawford Lake. Photo: NBC |
Sunshine Stewart, 48, was found dead in Crawford Lake. Photo: NBC
Following his arrest, Deven pleaded not guilty during a brief initial court appearance.
On July 25, a judge ordered Deven to be held at a juvenile detention facility "to prevent the juvenile from injuring another." Prosecutors confirmed on July 22 they had filed a motion to try him as an adult.
Deven is scheduled to appear in court again on August 22, a few weeks before his 18th birthday.
Tue Anh (according to Independent)
