Maine prosecutors filed a motion on Monday to charge a 17-year-old boy as an adult for killing a paddleboarder earlier this month.
The teen — who has been named in some media reports — has not been formally charged as an adult for murdering Sunshine Stewart, 48. WABI reported that a denial of the prosecutors’ motion was also filed.
According to the news outlet, Stewart’s accused killer will turn 18 in September. He was arrested on June 16, nearly two weeks after Stewart was found strangled at Crawford Pond in Union.
Stewart is believed to have vanished on July 2 from the Mic Mac Campground, where she had been for the past few days. Stewart planned to stay at the campgrounds for the summer, but concerns arose the following day when she did not return from paddleboarding.
“We first thought that maybe she was hurt,” campground owner Katharine Lunt told ABC. “Maybe she had been hit by a boat. We had no idea why she hadn’t returned.”
The teen allegedly dumped Stewart’s body on 100 Acre Island, an area that is only accessible by boat. He and his family were reportedly also staying at the pond for the summer.
Lunt alleged the teen “volunteered” inaccurate information to investigators to guide them in the opposite direction of where Stewart’s body was located. She also claimed he appeared “totally normal” in the days following Stewart’s slaying.
“He had said he had something to show them, and took them out on the lake on pretty much a wild goose chase,” she commented.
A spokesperson for the Maine Attorney General’s Office told WBTS that the courts allowed them to publicly name Stewart’s accused killer. However, the courts prohibited the release of more information in this case.
A motive remains undisclosed. The teen is due back in court on August 22.
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