ME - Missing paddle boarder Sunshine Stewart Found Dead by Homicide, Union 02 July 2025 *arrest*

[FoxxTraxx]

Sunshine Stewart, 48, was found dead at Crawford Pond in Union ME. Medical Examiner in Augusta ME determined the manner of death was a homicide on July 2, 2025
Maine State Police establish tip line for Union homicide investigation

 

[waldojabba]

Missing Maine paddle boarder was murdered, suspect unknown: Police

What we know about homicide of Maine paddle boarder at Crawford Pond in Union

 

[MassGuy]

Her Facebook: Log into Facebook

 

[tlcya]

Union is a small farming town dotted with ponds to which locals and other camp owners are drown in the hot summer months. Crawford Pond has no public access, and is surrounded entirely by private property. Stewart was reportedly spending the summer at the Mic Mac Cove Campground, but management there is tight lipped.
Answers Elusive in Killing of Tenants Harbor Woman

 

[tlcya]

Access through Mic Mac Cove Campground off Route 17 in Union. Here, you can rent a canoe or kayak, or bring your own, and paddle across the pond to the island, the easiest access is at Turtle Crossing (see map).
100 Acre Island | GRLT

 

[waldojabba]

Missing Maine paddleboarder was murdered, suspect unknown: Police

A missing paddleboarder was found dead in what is now considered a murder, officials said.

abcnews.go.com

Stewart's sister, Kim Ware, described her as the "strongest person I know" who would "give you the shirt off her back." Ware said Stewart was a marine biologist, the "world's best bartender, sternman, lobersterman and boat captain" and was currently working as a contractor.


Sarah Vokey, Stewart's close friend, said she had an "all-encompassing smile" even though her life "was not an easy one."

 

[waldojabba]

Stewart’s body was found by officials early Thursday morning near 100 Acre Island in the pond. An autopsy performed later that day would claim the cause of death to be a homicide.

Questions surrounding Union murder remain several days later

Last Thursday, 48-year-old Sunshine Stewart of Tenants Harbor was found dead in Union after Maine State Police say she went for an evening paddleboard ride.

www.wabi.tv

not drowning not suicide /same day autopsy / an obvious homicide ?

JMO

 

[citizen_sleuth]

What we know about homicide of paddleboarder at Maine pond

Sunshine "Sunny" Stewart, of Tenants Harbor, went out to paddleboard on Crawford Pond and went missing. She was found dead hours later and her death was ruled a homicide.

www.wmtw.com

<snipped & BBM>
Stewart's body was later found early Thursday morning near what is known as 100 Acre Island, which sits in the middle of Crawford Pond and can only be accessed by boat.

[…]

In a Facebook post, the Mic Mac Cove Campground said investigators have been using the campground to access the crime scene — which is not located at the campground.

The owner of the campground would not confirm reports that Stewart was spending the summer there.

 

[MassGuy]

Stewart’s body was found by officials early Thursday morning near 100 Acre Island in the pond. An autopsy performed later that day would claim the cause of death to be a homicide.

Questions surrounding Union murder remain several days later

Last Thursday, 48-year-old Sunshine Stewart of Tenants Harbor was found dead in Union after Maine State Police say she went for an evening paddleboard ride.

www.wabi.tv

not drowning not suicide /same day autopsy / an obvious homicide ?

JMO

Yup. Something told them. Glad they did the autopsy so quick, because sexual assault is a likely motive.

I can’t imagine water is good for retaining evidence like that.

 

[FoxxTraxx]

Here is the initial report by Maine's State Police on Sunshine Stewart. Most of this has been reported in the news but I assume the State Police could update this page at any time.

Maine State Police Sunshine Stewart Homicide

 

[FoxxTraxx]

Maine's largest newspaper the Portland Press Herald's report on Sunshine Stewart's death

Maine State Police address ‘fear and discomfort’ in Union as they investigate homicide
Portland Press Herald 7/9/25

Maine State Police continue to look for the killer of a Tenants Harbor woman who went missing while paddle boarding on Crawford Pond in Union last week.

In a statement on Wednesday, they recognized “the fear and discomfort that this incident has brought to the town of Union and the Crawford Pond community.”

 

[RedHaus]

Police investigating death of Maine paddleboarder as a homicide after discovery of body

Police in Maine are investigating the death of a paddleboarder near a campground in rural Maine as a homicide and asking the public for help finding the killer.

apnews.com

Slain Maine paddleboarder remembered as ‘strong, self-made’ woman

"She was just a light that lit up the room. People were attracted to her because of that personality," a longtime friend said.

www.bangordailynews.com

I hope this murder case is quickly solved. <modsnip: There was an existing thread; duplicates have been merged here>

I lived in Maine 15 years and can feel the shock waves far away where I am now. And I am just so sad that women's opportunity to recreate on their own keeps shrinking. We live in scary times.

 

[The Zookeeper]

Missing Maine paddleboarder was murdered, suspect unknown: Police

A missing paddleboarder was found dead in what is now considered a murder, officials said.

abcnews.go.com

Stewart's sister, Kim Ware, described her as the "strongest person I know" who would "give you the shirt off her back." Ware said Stewart was a marine biologist, the "world's best bartender, sternman, lobersterman and boat captain" and was currently working as a contractor.


Sarah Vokey, Stewart's close friend, said she had an "all-encompassing smile" even though her life "was not an easy one."

I’m wondering what Sunshine’s friend meant by, “even though her life was not an easy one.”

 

[iamshadow21]

Police investigating death of Maine paddleboarder as a homicide after discovery of body

Police in Maine are investigating the death of a paddleboarder near a campground in rural Maine as a homicide and asking the public for help finding the killer.

apnews.com

Slain Maine paddleboarder remembered as ‘strong, self-made’ woman

"She was just a light that lit up the room. People were attracted to her because of that personality," a longtime friend said.

www.bangordailynews.com

I hope this murder case is quickly solved. I am starting this thread to honor Sunshine's bright light and to help her friends and family seek justice.

I lived in Maine 15 years and can feel the shock waves far away where I am now. And I am just so sad that women's opportunity to recreate on their own keeps shrinking. We live in scary times.

There's an existing thread for Sunshine: ME-Missing paddle boarder Sunshine Stewart Found Dead by Homicide 07/02/25 Union ME

 

[LadyL]

this case scares the daylight out of me - I have a niece who goes paddleboarding alone all the time and I worry about her every time she posts her pictures

I'm wondering how big this 'pond' is cause when I think of ponds, the ones I know of are fairly small and no one does water activities on them ETA: I saw pictures of the pond - it's a really big one IMO

I hope they find this murderer quickly - hopefully there's some CCTV evidence that will help the police

so this tells us that the murderer either went through the campground or came from one of the homes there - I'm pretty sure those homes will have CCTV and even some of the campers will have some on their vehicles or RV's - even boaters or skiers on the water very often are video-ing :

The owner of Mic Mac Cove Family Campground said people can't access the pond without going through the campgrounds or without accessing the water from one of the private residences that sit near the water.

Maine State Police establish tip line for Union homicide investigation

Sunshine Stewart was last seen paddleboarding on Crawford Pond. Police are asking anyone with information about her death to call them or text "MESPTIP" to 847411.

www.newscentermaine.com

The pond is approximately 600 acres (243 hectares) and does not have public access.

Police investigating death of Maine paddleboarder as a homicide after discovery of body

Police in Maine are investigating the death of a paddleboarder near a campground in rural Maine as a homicide and asking the public for help finding the killer.

apnews.com

 

[LadyL]

so I guess we can assume that she was either not camping alone or that she told her neighbours what she was doing and they called in the report

The Knox County Sheriff’s Office was called shortly before 12:30 a.m. on July 3 and told that Stewart had not returned after going paddleboarding.

Slain Maine paddleboarder remembered as ‘strong, self-made’ woman

"She was just a light that lit up the room. People were attracted to her because of that personality," a longtime friend said.

www.bangordailynews.com

 

[citizen_sleuth]

Questions surrounding Union murder remain several days later

Last Thursday, 48-year-old Sunshine Stewart of Tenants Harbor was found dead in Union after Maine State Police say she went for an evening paddleboard ride.

www.wabi.tv

<snipped>
The owner of the campground, KL, said she was the one who contacted police alerting them that Stewart had been missing.

 

[waldojabba]

Questions surrounding Union murder remain several days later

Last Thursday, 48-year-old Sunshine Stewart of Tenants Harbor was found dead in Union after Maine State Police say she went for an evening paddleboard ride.

www.wabi.tv

<snipped>
The owner of the campground, KL, said she was the one who contacted police alerting them that Stewart had been missing.

I originally read that a roommate sounded the alert. But at this point there are many conflicting details - as per usual.

I also originally read that she had a camper up there for the summer. If you look at her house in Tenants Harbor on google maps there is a camper parked behind the house so that probably tracks...or not !

The GMA and others have said she had a smal blue dry bag with her paddle boarding /so wondering if LE was able to track her phone, assuming that was in the dry bag to find her ?

Maine paddleboarder’s death ruled a homicide

Authorities are scouring a rural area of Maine looking for clues about who murdered Sunshine “Sunny” Stewart, 48, whose body was found in the waters near 100 Acre Island.

www.goodmorningamerica.com

I wonder if she rented the paddleboard from the campground and that's how the owner knew she was missing since she did not return the paddlebard.

I have also read differing accounts re the 6-9 time frame that July 2nd. Some reports say she went out on the water between 6 and 9 / some reports say she went out at 6 and was expected back by 9.

Seems the MSP is asking people what they saw/heard between 6-9 out on the lake/in the area that evening, so maybe they have a time of death at around 9pm July 2nd ?

Feels random, crime of opportunity - but hard to know since she spent a lot of time up there and may know people - other paddle borders etc. Also it was fourth of July in 2 days so that is a big vacation week. Not sure that matters but maybe that puts more people in the area and out on the pond - to have seen something.

Also how many of the houses on the lake were occupied. Are they second homes or cottages?

Other thought - was this standard for Sunshine to go out on the pond at this time in the evening to paddleboard ? So someone watching her would know her routine.

NO answers just questions

JMO

 

[RedHaus]

Stewart’s body was found by officials early Thursday morning near 100 Acre Island in the pond. An autopsy performed later that day would claim the cause of death to be a homicide.

Questions surrounding Union murder remain several days later

Last Thursday, 48-year-old Sunshine Stewart of Tenants Harbor was found dead in Union after Maine State Police say she went for an evening paddleboard ride.

www.wabi.tv

not drowning not suicide /same day autopsy / an obvious homicide ?

JMO

Right. Very intriging and unusual circumstances as first reported by LE. Near an island in the middle of the pond? I wonder if SS sadly happened upon the evil perp when she stopped for a break?

ET: clarity

 

[Snoopster]

Most likely the perpetrator had access to a boat or board of some type. And, since the pond can't be seen from any public roads, the perp is likely fairly local (unless they were staying as a guest at the Campground or renting a cottage on the pond).
How busy would the pond have been with water activity in the early evening hours? It's high season but how many watercraft are usually out on the pond? how many people staying around the pond would have views out onto the pond where they can watch water activity? The far side of the island ,i.e. the east side that is obscured from Mic Mac, looks fairly isolated based on google maps. I don't see many docks or access roads on that side of pond.

Crawford Pond google maps