A 17-year-old has been arrested within the alleged murder of Sunshine Stewart, a paddleboarder who was discovered useless after being reported lacking in Maine earlier this month.
Stewart’s reason for dying was strangulation and blunt drive trauma, Maine State Police revealed Thursday. The 48-year-old was discovered useless on July 3 at Crawford Pond in Union, a well-liked 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 together with his household, in accordance with 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 accordance with Maine State Police.
The Workplace of the Chef Medical Examiner in Augusta decided the style of dying 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 dying 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 Could 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 offered hours of video to authorities in case it could show helpful.

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