ROCKLAND – The following comprises recent court activity in Knox County, including the case of a man who remains in custody charged with manslaughter in a 2024 Cushing homicide and a status update for a murder at Crawford Pond in Union on July 2.

Attorney for man accused of manslaughter in Cushing homicide files motion to suppress statements in court

The attorney for the man accused of manslaughter of Kyle MacDougall in July 2024 at a Cushing residence has filed a motion in Knox County Court to have the statements made by his client after he was apprehended following a pursuit and those made during his interrogation suppressed by the court.

Jason Hewett, 40, of Augusta, was charged with manslaughter in the shooting death of MacDougall on July 16, 2024. He is being held at the Knox County Jail on $200,000 cash bail.

MacDougall, 45, of Waldoboro, was shot in the neck at a Cushing home July 12 following an argument with Hewett. A witness reported to police that Hewett and MacDougall got in an altercation after Hewett accused him of loosening the lug nuts on his truck, according to the court affidavit. 

Police located Hewett on July 16 to arrest him, which lead to a pursuit on Route 32 in Windsor by the Maine State Police. Hewett traveled north on Route 32 toward China, took Route 3 toward Augusta and in an effort to avoid spike mats placed on the road, he drove into a ditch and onto the lawn of Nadeau Chiropractic and Wellness Center, court documents said.

Hewett then barricaded himself inside his vehicle and after four hours of negotiations, he surrendered and was arrested without incident. Hewett was transported to the Kennebec County Correctional Facility in Augusta.

Hewett's defense attorney, Andrew Wright, of Brunswick, said in the motion that Hewett was not read his Miranda Rights against self incrimination and that violated his constitutional rights with the fourth and fifth amendments. The attorney claims that the questioning inside Hewett's vehicle was involuntary after he was initially placed in custody. 

An officer reached out to Hewlett on his phone and he was observed by law enforcement to be consuming alcohol and smoking marijuana before he exited his vehicle, according to court documents. Any questioning that took place after Hewett’s arrest was with a man who was intoxicated and in a dire state of mind, according to the motion.

After he was transported to the Augusta Police Station, Hewett said he told the officers that he did not want to answer any questions, but they continued to interrogate him.

A hearing on the motion to suppress is scheduled for Nov. 17 in Knox County Court.

The trial is scheduled to begin the week of March 2, 2026 with jury selection expected to begin March 2.  

Justice Patrick Larson is presiding over the court proceedings.

Juvenile accused of murdering Sunshine Steward at Crawford Pond in Union

UPDATE (Sept. 22): The Office of the Maine Attorney General is still unable to comment on any status updates regarding the case of Deven Young, who was accused of murdering Sunshine Stewart July 2 in Union.

The issue is whether Young, who turned 18 today, September 24, is tried as an adult. If convicted, he would face a minimum of 25 years and possibly a life sentence in prison, according to Maine law. The Office of the Maine Attorney General filed a motion to have Young charged as an adult in the murder of Stewart. 

He made his initial appearance in court July 18 after being arrested July 16. The Office of the Maine Attorney General confirmed July 21 that it would seek to have Young charged as an adult for the murder of Sunshine Stewart.  

The public had been expecting to learn the outcome of a status conference scheduled on Aug. 22 concerning the death of Sunshine Stewart, but at the conference, a Knox County Superior Court judge reversed a July 18 decision and mandated that law enforcement and legal records remain sealed.  

Maine Judicial Branch Director of Legal Affairs and Public Relations Barbara A. Cardone suggested specific statues for review to assist with determining the direction of the case and why the court records are confidential.

According to Maine Statute §3318-A, Determination of competency of a juvenile to proceed in a juvenile proceeding: “pending a competency examination, the Juvenile Court shall suspend the proceeding on the petition.”

All records that have been previously open to public inspection are confidential and are not subject to be released by the court.

The statute states that pending a competency examination, the juvenile court shall suspend the proceeding on the petition.

All juvenile case records, including a petition that is otherwise open to public inspection, are confidential and are not subject to inspection, dissemination or release by the court. The suspension remains in effect pending the outcome of a competency determination hearing.

The Attorney General’s Office confirmed in an email Aug. 22 that, “the matter is no longer public, and we can’t comment.”

WABI-TV in Bangor reported during an Aug. 21 interview with the director for the School of Legal Studies at Husson University, John Michaud, about the recent restriction for the public to the court records for Young. Michaud believes the judge in the case has agreed to a competency hearing, according to WABI-TV.

“Anytime a competency hearing is called, information is shut off," he said in the interview. "That’s the law. It’s not shut off to hide information, it’s not shut off to make the public angry, it’s not shut off to make the public think they’re making a deal in the backroom."

Michaud further said in the interview that Young would undergo an evaluation and a mental health expert needs to determine both if he understands the charges against him and whether he can participate in his own defense.

Reach Sarah Shepherd at news@penbaypilot.com