A 17-year-old has been arrested within the alleged murder of Sunshine Stewart, a paddleboarder who was discovered lifeless after being reported lacking in Maine earlier this month.
Stewart’s reason behind loss of life was strangulation and blunt pressure trauma, Maine State Police revealed Thursday. The 48-year-old was discovered lifeless on July 3 at Crawford Pond in Union, a preferred recreation spot close to the campground the place she was staying.
The suspect, who’s male, was arrested with out incident Wednesday night time, police stated. He’s from Maine and got here to the pond space to spend summer season trip time together with his household, in accordance with an official aware of the investigation.
The suspect, who has not been named by police, was transported to the Lengthy Creek Youth Improvement Middle in South Portland, in accordance with Maine State Police.
The Workplace of the Chef Medical Examiner in Augusta decided the style of loss of life was a murder.
Crawford Pond in Union, Maine, July 9, 2025.
Robert F. Bukaty/AP
The situation of the physique when it was discovered indicated the loss of life was not a suicide or an unintended drowning, officers stated.
The tragedy had left the residents of small, tight knit community scared.
Stewart rented a camp web site at Mic Mac Household Campground for the summer season season on Might 1. She had solely stayed on the grounds for 2 or three nights previous to her disappearance on the night of July 2. The proprietor of the campground stated she has supplied hours of video to authorities in case it could possibly show helpful.

Sunshine “Sunny” Stewart was discovered lifeless after she went paddleboarding on a lake in Maine, and her loss of life has been dominated as a murder, officers stated.
Kim Ware
This can be a growing story. Please test again for updates.