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 for loss of life was strangulation and blunt drive 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 evening, police stated. He’s from Maine and got here to the pond space to spend summer season trip time along with his household, in response to an official acquainted with the investigation.
The suspect, who has not been named by police, was transported to the Lengthy Creek Youth Improvement Heart in South Portland, in response to Maine State Police.
The Workplace of the Chef Medical Examiner in Augusta decided the way 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 unintentional 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
It is a growing story. Please verify again for updates.