Authorities have charged an accused burglar with felony murder more than one year after 62-year-old Connie Loucks died of a heart attack during an attempted burglary at her home in Wells.

Carlton L. Young, 24, of Sanford was indicted Tuesday by a York County grand jury on a felony murder charge for Loucks’ death on March 25, 2015. Felony murder, a lesser charge than murder, is punishable by up to 30 years in prison. Murder carries a mandatory minimum penalty of 25 years.

Carlton L. Young

Young has been at the York County Jail in Alfred since March 26, 2015, after his arrest on burglary-related charges. He is being held on $30,000 bail, jail officials said.

Young was initially accused of being part of a burglary ring that broke into houses in southern Maine. He and at least one other person allegedly broke into Loucks’ home on March 24, 2015, when she wasn’t home, and then returned the following day to break in again.

It is unclear why authorities waited until now to charge Young with felony murder.

Timothy Feeley, a spokesman for the state Attorney General’s Office, provided few other details in an email after the York County District Attorney’s Office announced Young’s indictment.

“This is a superseding indictment, adding a count of felony murder, which is a Class A crime,” Feeley said. “The felony murder is based on the fact that the burglary led to the death of Connie Loucks. Ms. Loucks suffered from heart disease and her home was burglarized by Mr. Young and others on one day and then they returned the following day, when she was home and she suffered a heart attack and died. The State is currently discussing the charges with the co-defendants’ counsel and cannot comment on that aspect of the case at this time.”

In a subsequent email, Feeley said that only Young has been charged in Loucks’ death.

Young’s attorney, Amy Fairfield, said he denies responsibility for Loucks’ death and intends to contest the charge.

“My client steadfastly maintains his innocence and has throughout the process,” Fairfield said.

Until now, authorities had not publicly revealed that they considered Loucks’ death to be a homicide.

Her obituary, on the website of Bibber Memorial Chapel in Kennebunk, said only that she died unexpectedly at her home.

A native of Elmira, New York, Loucks was one of nine children and went on to have two daughters of her own. She lived in Wells with her husband of 42 years, Brian Loucks, according to her obituary.

“She enjoyed the beach, country music, taking walks, raising her children, being a grandmother, and being the loving wife of Brian,” the obituary states, adding that she was a “yoga aficionado.”

Loucks’ husband did not return a phone message seeking comment Tuesday night.

Young’s arraignment date on the felony murder charge was not immediately available.

Fairfield described Young as a “good kid” who was struggling with the recent death of his mother at the time of his arrest.

“He had a pretty rough upbringing, and he suddenly lost his mother a few years back. His mother was a very positive and good influence on his life,” Fairfield said.

In addition to the felony murder count, the superseding indictment also charges Young with felony attempt to commit a crime, four felony counts of burglary and four felony counts of theft.

Young has a lengthy record of convictions dating to 2011 for crimes such as criminal mischief, assault, carrying a concealed weapon, driving under the influence, theft and burglary.

At the time of his arrest, Young was serving a two-year probation term for a felony burglary conviction. A four-year prison sentence in that case had been suspended, according to a Maine State Bureau of Identification database.