Latest news with #MeredithSmith
Daily Mail
3 days ago
- Daily Mail
EXCLUSIVE Paddleboarder's 'terrifying' final moments with boy, 17, who 'toyed with cops' after 'strangling' her to death
The childhood friend of a paddleboarder murdered in Maine says she is struggling to fathom the terror she must've experienced in her final moments. Sunshine Stewart, 48, was found beaten and strangled to death in Union, on July 3. She had been staying at the Mic Mac Campground and was paddleboarding on the nearby Crawford Pond when she was killed. For two weeks, the small, tight-knit community was gripped with fear as police hunted Stewart's killer. A breakthrough finally came on August 16, when 17-year-old Deven Young - who'd been staying at the same campsite as Stewart with his parents - told State Police he had some information about her death. Young then accompanied investigators on an excursion to 100 Acre Island in the middle of the pond, near where Stewart's body was found. What the teen told police is not clear, but within hours he was arrested and charged with her murder. On Friday, Young appeared in a Knox County courtroom where he denied killing Stewart. Authorities have not disclosed a motive for the crime, sharing only that the scene was 'unusual' while accusing Young of acting with 'depraved indifference.' While several unknowns still hang over the case, Stewart's lifelong friend Meredith Smith told the Daily Mail she is haunted by the thought of what she must've experienced in her final throes of life. 'I can't even explain it in words, but I feel horrific thinking about what she must have seen and felt, looking at this person… she must've been so scared,' said Smith. 'The more I read and see of him… those last moments of her life were probably just horrifying.' Smith, who remembered Stewart as fierce and strong, believes she would've 'fought like hell' to fend off her killer - if she was even given the chance. 'I have a feeling she was snuck up on…someone would've had to have taken her by surprise,' she added. In the days after Stewart's death, Young continued posting on his Facebook page, seemingly unfazed by the commotion stirring within the local community. In his final post before his arrest, on July 12, Young shared an image of a boat anchored at sunset. In a conversation beneath the post, he told a friend, 'I'm doing good,' when asked how he was. The owner of Mic Mac Campground, Katherine Lunt, has also shared that there was nothing about Young's behavior that gave her any cause for suspicion. He continued to act like he always had, Lunt said: offering to assist other campers with their pets, yard work, and making wood crafts by hand, which he'd give out to other campers. Young reportedly displayed the same willingness to be helpful when Maine State Police returned to the campground on July 16, seeking leads in the Stewart case. Meredith Smith, who had known Stewart for four decades, told the Daily Mail she's haunted by what Stewart must've experienced in her final moments (Smith and Stewart are seen together, right, as children) The teenager approached the officers and said he had some information to share. Young then accompanied police to Crawford Pond, and reportedly led them to the opposite end of 100 Acre Island from where Stewart's body was found. He was interviewed after the excursion. Police left the camp and returned later the same night, heading straight to the Young family's camper where they remained inside for roughly two hours before taking him into custody at 10:30pm. Smith, like many others who knew and loved Stewart, is curious to know what Young said to investigators that led to his arrest. Evidence in the case was ordered to remain sealed by a judge last week, until at least Young's next court appearance on August 22. As Smith waits for answers, she blasted Young as a 'sick individual' whom she believes was trying to taunt the police. 'What kind of game was he playing?' asked Smith. 'I really think he was trying to toy with the cops… I don't think he feels guilty or remorseful, judging by his actions and his social media posts. Maybe he's incapable of remorse?' Addressing Young directly, she alleged: 'You're a very sick individual and I hope that you get the help that you need and I also hope that they throw away the key and lock you away forever because I don't think you'll ever be okay to be in society again.' Requests for comment from Young's attorney and his parents have gone unanswered. The owner of Mic Mac Campground, Katherine Lunt, has also shared that there was nothing untoward in Young's behavior that gave her any cause for suspicion Young, who is from Frankfort, Maine, has spent the last two summers vacationing with his family on Crawford Pond. Stewart was also a seasonal guest at the campsite. She'd arrived in Union from Tenants Harbor only days before her death. Any connections Young had to Stewart are not yet known. Rumors have circulated on social media that Young was a known troublemaker at the site and his behavior had long raised concern - but campground owner Katherine Lunt denied any truth to the claims. 'They were never kicked out of the campground,' she told the Midcoast Villager. 'Quite honestly, if any of this were true, the day this investigation started, he would have obviously been the first suspect in this case, and it would not have taken two weeks to solve.' Young appeared in a Knox County courtroom on Friday morning via Zoom, where he denied responsibility for Stewart's death. He is currently being held in a youth detention center in South Portland. Young's Facebook page was deleted within hours of his arrest. His profile picture had shown him posing with a shotgun in a chair, glaring at the camera, with a cartoon American flag superimposed at his feet. A video he posted to his now-deleted TikTok in January 2024 showed a slideshow of black and white images of Young sitting in a vehicle, with the voice of a man playing over the top, which said: 'It's not your fault, mom. You raised a really good kid. The world just f**ked me up.' Young's parents, Tara and Jessie Young, have also deleted their Facebook pages. According to Tara Young's page, which was viewed by the Daily Mail last week, she works at a residential care facility in Searsport, Maine. Friends and loved ones of Stewart's have voiced their collective heartache over her passing, remembering her as kind, talented, and a free spirit. 'Everyone who knew her loved her,' said Smith. 'Every time I think of her, I think of home and a childhood filled with happy memories. She was always smiling and she had a laugh that was so infectious… She'll be missed terribly.' Lunt shared Smith's heartbreak, adding that she was horrified such a terrible crime could take place on her doorstep. 'It is heart-wrenching and terrifying that we had no idea the murderer was amongst us as we were looking for a stranger,' said Lunt. Stewart would have turned 49 next month. Young will turn 18 this September.
The Sun
10-07-2025
- The Sun
Paddleboarder, 48, found dead after vanishing while on pond during camp trip as cops launch hunt for ‘killer'
A PADDLEBOARDER who mysteriously vanished during a camping trip has been found dead. Sunshine 'Sunny' Stewart's body was found just hours after she went out onto the water in Maine. 3 3 The 48-year-old had been on a camping trip in Union - around 80 miles northeast of Portland - and was seen going into the water on July 2. Stewart, an avid paddleboarder, is believed to have gone out on the town's Crawford Pond between 6pm and 9pm. The pond has a maximum depth of 57 feet and is home to various fish species, including brown trout, smallmouth bass, and the American eel. Stewart, who lives around 20 miles from the pond, was reported missing, sparking a frantic search. Stewart's body was found in the early hours of July 3 by game wardens and investigators ruled it was unlikely she had drowned. They ruled out drowning, as well as suicide, because of the state of her body. It's not known if her body was found on water or had been dumped on land. Investigators believed Stewart, a former marine biologist and an experienced paddleboarder, was murdered. Stewart's death has since been ruled a homicide, but Maine cops have not shared any details as to how she was killed. Cops have said they will investigate every possible lead in a bid to resolve the mystery. Investigators have appealed for any security footage at the time Stewart disappeared. Her death has left locals and friends traumatized. Devastated pal, Meredith Smith, said people who knew Stewart were in awe of her. TRIBUTES POUR IN 'Rest easy my beautiful friend,' Chris Dee wrote on Facebook. Stacey Yendell noted how Stewart had an 'unstoppable' spirit. 'Sunny was a force of bold and unapologetically alive,' she told the CBS affiliate WABI-TV. Kim Ware, Stewart's sister, said she was the 'strongest person' that she knew. 'Now we have to rally and give her justice,' she warned. Ware described Stewart as the 'light in our lives' in a heartbreaking tribute shared on GoFundMe. Meanwhile, Stewart's cousin said she lived a "quiet life" as they couldn't comprehend what had happened on the pond. "Sunny was independent and did many things on her own," they wrote on Reddit. "She lived a quiet, peaceful life with a great respect for nature and the simple things. She did not deserve this." Cops have primarily focused their investigation on the Mic Mac Cove Family Campground in the town. 3
Business Journals
20-06-2025
- Health
- Business Journals
Tackling a wicked problem: How Cincinnati leaders changed the odds for hundreds of babies
Never miss an episode of Getting Health Care Right. Subscribe today on Apple Podcasts or Spotify. In the latest episode of Getting Health Care Right, a podcast brought to you by TriHealth and the Cincinnati Business Courier, Jill Miller, president and CEO of bi3, is joined by Dr. Meredith Smith, executive director of Cradle Cincinnati. The two recently co-wrote a book called 'Infant Mortality and Other Wicked Problems,' which details how Cincinnati organizations joined forces to tackle the city's high infant mortality rate. 'I don't think everybody knows that a community's infant mortality rate is the key indicator of the overall health of the community, and that is something that corporations and businesses should consider as they try to attract and build a workforce and attract new people to come here,' Miller said. Listen to the episode to hear more about:
Yahoo
23-02-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Valley Junction gets crafty during DIY in the Junction event
WEST DES MOINES, Iowa — DIY in the Junction brought out families looking to get crafty and enjoy the shops during a sunny Saturday. Eight shops participated in the event, each on choosing a craft that aligned with their stores theme. Coffee Cats had a make your own cat toy station and The Spice & Tea Exchange provided a Tea Steeping 101 class. 'The Empire' set to takeover Fong's current location The Rocky Mountain Chocolate Factory had a dip-it-yourself station, allowing families to enjoy some chocolatey goodies without all the mess in the kitchen. 'Oh, it's just a lot of fun. I think that people look at some of the things that we've got in the case, and they don't realize that this actually does take a little practice to get that drizzle down and to get the dabbing down,' said Meredith Smith, shop owner. 'It's just fun to experiment, and it set up a whole lot easier than trying to put this together in your own kitchen.' The Historic Valley Junction Foundations works to preserve the history of the Valley Junction district by bringing together the community with events just like this and hopes to bring the event back in the future. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
