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

[Detechtive]

https://www.nbcboston.com/news/local/investigation-continues-into-mysterious-murder-of-maine-paddleboarder-heres-what-we-know/3767226/

It seems to me that the lack of warnings by the police point to them currently knowing and monitoring the suspect. There doesn't seem to be a lot of urgency for public warnings. It is quite odd. IMO

 

[RedHaus]

...I also measured from the beach area at Mic Macs campground to 100 acre island, it's a distance of 0.3 miles (0.5km).
That would be a 6 minute paddle, or a 15 minute swim for a reasonably competent swimmer.

That's a lot further than it looks in the photos. I can't imagine a stalker swimming for 15minutes to the island just to attack Sunny. Surely it had to be a kayak / paddleboard / boat...

RSBM
True. However, IIRC the distance between 100 Acre Island and 'mainland' is quite short and would be easily swimmable, or even wadeable if shallow enough. Just not sure what access is like at that point - both onto the island and off the mainland.

That said, I wonder if it is more likely a watercraft of any sort was involved. But if not from a camp or home on the lake, it would have to be light enough to haul out.

IMO.

 

[RedHaus]

RSBM
True. However, IIRC the distance between 100 Acre Island and 'mainland' is quite short and would be easily swimmable, or even wadeable if shallow enough. Just not sure what access is like at that point - both onto the island and off the mainland.

That said, I wonder if it is more likely a watercraft of any sort was involved. But if not from a camp or home on the lake, it would have to be light enough to haul out.

IMO.

To clarify, in my last post, I was speaking of the Causeway. I forgot that detail!

Below is @Spectrix's image of Crawford Pond from p.2, for reference.

From this image it appears the distance to the mainland from the island is fairly similar at the Campgound and Causeway. So maybe both are a ~15 minute swim?

That said, I'd presume the Causeway access / exit would be preferable to a perp fleeing the island because it is more obscured than the Camp.

... but if the crime did not occur on the island or involved a watercraft and not swimming, then this sleuthing is moot.

 

[Snoopster]

To clarify, in my last post, I was speaking of the Causeway. I forgot that detail!

Below is @Spectrix's image of Crawford Pond from p.2, for reference.

From this image it appears the distance to the mainland from the island is fairly similar at the Campgound and Causeway. So maybe both are a ~15 minute swim?

That said, I'd presume the Causeway access / exit would be preferable to a perp fleeing the island because it is more obscured than the Camp.

... but if the crime did not occur on the island or involved a watercraft and not swimming, then this sleuthing is moot.

View attachment 602050

The causeway connection is actually much closer. Based on google maps it is less than 100 meters. And, there are rocky points were you walk much of the way.

The other thing of note is that there is only one very small "cut" where a larger boat could go through, although I presume that a paddleboard could go over other stretches of it. Here's a closer satellite view.

I'm not sure how helpful this is regarding the case, but I wanted to point out that it's much, much less than a 15 minute swim.

 

[RedHaus]

The causeway connection is actually much closer. Based on google maps it is less than 100 meters. And, there are rocky points were you walk much of the way.


View attachment 602077

The other thing of note is that there is only one very small "cut" where a larger boat could go through, although I presume that a paddleboard could go over other stretches of it. Here's a closer satellite view.

View attachment 602078

I'm not sure how helpful this is regarding the case, but I wanted to point out that it's much, much less than a 15 minute swim.

Great. Thanks for confirming my hunch that the Causeway is quite a short distance between the island and mainland. Looks like there's still a road.

 

[Detechtive]

Great. Thanks for confirming my hunch that the Causeway is quite a short distance between the island and mainland. Looks like there's still a road.

I can't quite tell by the satellite imagery - is that a bridge where the road seems to go?

 

[RedHaus]

I can't quite tell by the satellite imagery - is that a bridge where the road seems to go?

As I've come to understand, It used to be a bridge, hence the name 'the causway'.

It appears to have fallen apart but there are still stone / concrete pieces in the water or above the surface. And there is a narrow cut where a boat could get thru.

 

[Detechtive]

Betts said Wednesday that state police have reportedly asked for a DNA sample from a man on July 15 and "explained they were going to request samples for males in the area around the pond where Stewart died on the night of July 2," according to the news outlet.

Additionally, Stewart's body was reportedly found along the southeast shore of 100 Acre Island by an aerial drone roughly nine hours after she went paddleboarding from the Mic Mac Campground, where she was staying.

New details emerge in Union homicide investigation, report says

Police have not released many details regarding the case and have asked residents to "remain vigilant" and report suspicious activity.

www.newscentermaine.com

 

[Detechtive]

I saw a Facebook comment by a woman who was staying on the island at the time. She said the police told her that there was no reason to be afraid or to leave, and to continue enjoying her vacation. Strange.

 

[maine2016]

Teen arrested in connection with Union homicide

The arrest marks a significant development in the investigation into the death of 48-year-old Sunshine "Sunny" Stewart.

www.newscentermaine.com

 

[Spectrix]

I saw a Facebook comment by a woman who was staying on the island at the time. She said the police told her that there was no reason to be afraid or to leave, and to continue enjoying her vacation. Strange.

"It's fine bro, he's got it out of his system now and he probably won't kill again for at least a week or two..."

 

[Detechtive]

"It's fine bro, he's got it out of his system now and he probably won't kill again for at least a week or two..."

I think it mostly points to someone they were surveilling rather than a random serial killer

 

[DS2021]

Maine teen arrested for killing of paddleboarder at Crawford Pond, police say

The arrest of the 17-year-old suspect comes two weeks after Sunshine "Sunny" Stewart went paddleboarding and was later found dead by authorities.

www.wmtw.com

An official familiar with the investigation told ABC News that the suspect frequently visits the Crawford Pond area to spend summer vacation time with his family.

Police also revealed Thursday that the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner in Augusta confirmed the cause of Stewart's death was strangulation and blunt force trauma.

 

[Spectrix]

What a relief. Good work Union Police.

Strangulation AND blunt force trauma? Sheesh.

 

[Detechtive]

What a relief. Good work Union Police.

Strangulation AND blunt force trauma? Sheesh.

Yeah, it points to a stranger murder - and it would usually be strangulation and then blunt force trauma.

But I am wondering if they got into a scuffle first after she rejected him/told him to leave - which is why he then strangled her, because, from all accounts, this woman seemed to be fit and quite strong / physical (she's a carpenter, etc, so could probably fight off a strangulation if she wasn't first subdued by a blunt force trauma). I would think he definitely watched/stalked her while she was paddling around the pond.

 

[Spectrix]

Yeah, it points to a stranger murder - and it would usually be strangulation and then blunt force trauma.

But I am wondering if they got into a scuffle first after she rejected him/told him to leave - which is why he then strangled her, because, from all accounts, this woman seemed to be fit and quite strong / physical (she's a carpenter, etc, so could probably fight off a strangulation if she wasn't first subdued by a blunt force trauma). I would think he definitely watched/stalked her while she was paddling around the pond.

Yeah. I'm curious about the logistics of it. They didn't take too long to make an arrest, so I bet he was picked up on CCTV heading over to the island shortly after Sunny, and they placed him under surveillance for a little while while they waited for the DNA swabs to come back.

 

[waldojabba]

" Police also said the suspect has been transported to the Long Creek Youth Development Center in South Portland." per article above

This 17 year old is a menace to society and needs to be tried as an adult. Hopefully once he is charged/arraigned they will throw him in with the big boys in real jail

Pathetic that he ended this womans life - for what ? SA? Sick sick sick.

JMO

 

[Detechtive]

I'm


Yeah. I'm curious about the logistics of it. They didn't take too long to make an arrest, so I bet he was picked up on CCTV heading over to the island shortly after Sunny, and they placed him under surveillance for a little while while they waited for the DNA swabs to come back.

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

 

[waldojabba]

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

I don't suspect there was a wet suit - the weather was seasonable
I think the description given when she was last seen included a blue shirt and a blue dry pack heading out

A 17 yr old male generally rages with male hormones/ and who knows maybe even drugs/booze - he's definitely depraved/ but I see no other reason to kill her runless SA and she fought back which I suspect she did. Thrill kill?

We will have to wait and see but I think SA and she fought him. She may have even known him and his parents since they all vacationed there over the years.

I am so glad they have him in custody - so freakin senseless - Sunshine had so much more life to live.

JMO

 

[Spectrix]

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

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.