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

[Spectrix]

Murderers, such as Ted Bundy (and presumably others), typically start with blunt force trauma - hit to the head. The final assault is strangulation. There may not be much evidence of 'fighting back'.

That would make sense in this case. If she was - for instance - surprised from behind and hit hard enough to fall unconscious (hence the blunt force trauma) and subsequently unable to defend herself against strangulation.

 

[tlcya]

Bbm.
One can understand why that would be ... but other people there need to know that it's safe and that this will not happen again.

I'd imagine there are cameras at the campground ?
Was the perp staying there as well ?

All it took was one person with evil intent.
Seems like nowhere is safe these days.
Omo.

the campground's response to this article:

https://www.facebook.com/micmaccovecampground/posts/pfbid0YKsW8cqL87RuyhQXMLtZuTQvqiBXF1dwwSDmDPskFgk6oL1gjnfdeEjhDA3KoLoAl

 

[RedHaus]

That would make sense in this case. If she was - for instance - surprised from behind and hit hard enough to fall unconscious (hence the blunt force trauma) and subsequently unable to defend herself against strangulation.

... and possibly / likely SA, IMO.

... a kayak, canoe or rowboat paddle comes to mind to cause blunt force trauma from behind, IMO

... wasn't that Rex Heuermann's MO with his horrific Gilgo Beach murders - blunt force trauma from behind before SA and murder?

 

[tlcya]

He is from Maine and came to the pond area to spend summer vacation time with his family, according to an official familiar with the investigation.
17-year-old arrested in murder of Maine paddleboarder reported missing earlier this month

Wow, so another summer vacationer. I figured it would turn out to be this, but I didn't expect it to be a teen. Happy her family at least has the comfort that he was quickly apprehended.

May Sunshine rest easy.

ETA since he came to spend the summer, I am wondering if his family owns a private property along the pond

 

[SpencerB]

It's summer over there.. I can't speak for this particular teen, but I just wear a pair of board shorts paddleboarding (even in winter actually). No need for a wetsuit in calm water.

I bet he's got some deep scratches after a strangulation. It takes a lot longer than they tend to make out on TV, and she would have fought hard.

The suspect in custody is a 17 yo male. So bizarre. So sad for this gal.

 

[jesse]

... especially for solo women recreating.

Yes. I've been casually looking at pond or lake properties in Maine, as a place to just get away and possibly spend more time as I look to retire in a few years. This struck some fear into my heart.

 

[iamshadow21]

IDK, for a 17yr old to just do something like this he had to have been on something or has done other things and graduated to this? IMO

IMO - peeping, creeping, stealing underwear, groping in crowds are the likely things that came first.

 

[waldojabba]

IMO - peeping, creeping, stealing underwear, groping in crowds are the likely things that came first.

abuse of and killing animals comes to mind too
as well as bullying
jmo

 

[kuromiiiilove]

Yes. I've been casually looking at pond or lake properties in Maine, as a place to just get away and possibly spend more time as I look to retire in a few years. This struck some fear into my heart.

I spend a lot of time about an hour south of Union, and I was shocked by this as well. In general, ME is consistently one of the states with the lowest rates of violent crime (103 incidents per 100k people, as of 2022). I wouldn’t let this put you off. Overall, it’s a beautiful state with kind and chill people.

@miss marble, you said it more eloquently than I ever could. Even out in the ‘boonies’ of Union, wherever young men have access to p*rnography and ‘red pill’ influencers such as Andrew Tate, there is a threat to women’s lives and autonomy. My parents are both teachers. My mother quit because of a threat to her life that was not taken seriously, and my dad is extremely worried for the young men in his middle school classroom. We need to figure out how to deal with ‘the internet problem’, especially when there are sites that spread and encourage ideas such as male entitlement to women’s bodies.

RIP Sunshine. This murder really left me so angry. I have seen a post where someone asked women ‘if men weren’t on the planet for a day, what would you do?’ Most women in the comments said they would hike, go for walks late at night, swim, etc. without fear of being harassed or assaulted. I wish that we lived in a world where women didn’t have to constantly be on guard. MOO.

 

[RedHaus]

ETA since he came to spend the summer, I am wondering if his family owns a private property along the pond

I agree, @tlcya. I presume the S.O.B's family has a 'camp' (shack, house, etc.) on Crawford Pond.

 

[jesse]

I agree, @tlcya. I presume the S.O.B's family has a 'camp' (shack, house, etc.) on Crawford Pond.

I've seen reports that he was staying with his family at the (Mic Mac?) campground.

If so, it explains how he was identified pretty quickly. I think possibly someone saw an interaction between them, or saw him go out on the pond right after her. The cameras at the campground may have picked something up, too.

Allegedly his DNA was under her fingernails. What a waste. Everyone said she was such a wonderful person who really lived up to her name.

 

[Regal Beagle]

I watched an interview Sunshine's best friend had given and she mentioned that she had passed on some information to the police about an incident that had happened involving two individuals at the camp ground. And when they arrested the 17yo, the news report said it was in connection to the death of Sunshine, not for the death of her. I may be grasping at straws but I think there’s a second person involved.

 

[acutename]

Thanks for the link, @Agordifobia !
A pic from that site :

View attachment 602187

Looks more like a large lake than a pond.
Beautiful area and remote .... yet it seems safe.
I'm wondering how this teen was able to subdue her while she was paddle boarding ?
So it sounds like no weapon was used ?
Scary and so sickening.
Imo.

Rest in peace, Sunshine !!!

I wonder if he is an out of control person at times and he hit her in the head. As some one described as "nice," she would not anticipate an attack, IMO. I hope we find out the real situation.

 

[Angelcat13]

IMO - peeping, creeping, stealing underwear, groping in crowds are the likely things that came first.

Agree. And probably fantasizing about it for quite awhile IMO. If so, this likely makes him extremely dangerous if he’s ever let back into society. (IMO)

 

[Angelcat13]

I wonder if he is an out of control person at times and he hit her in the head. As some one described as "nice," she would not anticipate an attack, IMO. I hope we find out the real situation.

Possibly. But, IMO, that doesn’t explain the strangulation.

 

[Jbetty567]

There seems to be a lot of speculation about motive. These kinds of crimes are almost always sexually motivated - even if the offender fails to perpetrate a sexual assault. This teen boy no doubt had fantasies none of us can grasp - they likely involved violence toward women. (And/or, he’s an Incel who feels entitled to use women at will). He approached her, she was caught off guard because of his age, and he attacked her. Then things probably deviated from his fantasy when she defended herself vigorously. He might also have SA’d her after he killed her - I’ve seen it time and again. It’s a final expression of power and control. I personally cannot wait to hear all the details about how they caught him - I think cameras are likely; interviews with people at the lake “camps;” maybe they asked to see the arms and faces of all males staying at camps on the lake. If he was interviewed, he did not make eye contact and looked down. He would not have been smart or savvy enough to get rid of his clothing, either. They were probably in a ball under his bunk. RIP Sunshine - with any luck, Maine has decent laws and your killer will never again see the light of day.

 

[4psyche]

I'm not sure, because the DNA was only taken on the 15th, and I somehow doubt there was a sexual assault. Someone so physically strong in probably a wetsuit? I'm not sure about what paddleboarders wear there at 6pm at night - but if so, it would probably not be sexual assault, although the motive probably was. I would think they probably found his DNA under her fingernails and they tested him on the 15th. IMO

A scuffle and quickly strangling her to avoid people hearing / coming to her aide. IMO

In the summer months ponds are very warm. No need for a wetsuit unless you’re on the ocean.

 

[imstilla.grandma]

The condition of the body when it was found indicated the death was not a suicide or an accidental drowning, officials said.

The tragedy had left the residents of small, tight knit community scared.

Stewart rented a camp site at Mic Mac Family Campground for the summer season on May 1. She had only stayed on the grounds for two or three nights prior to her disappearance on the evening of July 2. The owner of the campground said she has provided hours of video to authorities in case it can prove useful.

17-year-old arrested in murder of Maine paddleboarder reported missing earlier this month

An arrest has been made in the murder of Sunshine Stewart, a paddleboarder who went missing in Maine earlier this month.

abcnews.go.com

The teen, who is also a Maine resident, has been transported to the Long Creek Youth Development Center in South Portland, the Department of Public Safety said. Authorities have not released his name.

Per local news station WMTW, an official familiar with the investigation said the suspect frequently visits the Crawford Pond area with his family for summer vacations.

Stewart had been planning to spend the summer in a camper at Mic Mac Campground, the Midcoast Villager previously reported. Her body was reportedly found near 100 Acre Island, which sits in the middle of Crawford Pond.

Maine 17-year-old arrested in paddleboarder’s murder

Sunshine Stewart, the slain paddleboarder, died of strangulation and blunt force trauma, Maine authorities announced Thursday.

www.boston.com

Before authorities shared the news of the teen’s arrest, Stewart’s childhood friend spoke with WMTW, saying Stewart was “outgoing, loving, kind, strong willed, steadfast in her beliefs, independent and sunny as she’s always shining like the sun.”

“She had a good name for herself,” Meredith Smith told the TV station, referring to Stewart’s first name.

https://www.miamiherald.com/news/nation-world/national/article310864280.html

 

[shetalksinstereo]

Has it been mentioned anywhere if she ever stayed at this campground before?

Also, I would be interested to know where her site was in relation to the perps, as well as in relation to a common building, like a bath house.

 

[Spectrix]

Has it been mentioned anywhere if she ever stayed at this campground before?

Also, I would be interested to know where her site was in relation to the perps, as well as in relation to a common building, like a bath house.

She reportedly stayed there each summer. Perhaps they had crossed paths before?