A paddleboarder was found dead at a Maine pond. Police believe someone killed her

CNN

12-07-2025

FacebookTweetLink (CNN) — On a warm summer evening earlier this month, Sunshine Stewart went paddleboarding on Crawford Pond, a peaceful, wooded expanse of water in Union, near coastal Maine.
When she didn't return hours later, someone reported her missing. Early the next morning, authorities said they found her body near 100 Acre Island, a nature preserve in the middle of the pond.
An autopsy later that day determined the 48-year-old woman's death was a homicide.
Nine days later, there have been no arrests. Maine State Police are warning the community to stay vigilant but have not divulged the cause of death or any details about the crime scene, leaving Stewart's family with questions and nearby residents with fears that a killer may be among them.
'I think it's just confusing because we don't know what happened, like, if this was an isolated incident or … a personal thing, like a grudge,' resident Gus Williams told CNN affiliate WMTW.
Williams, who lives near Crawford Pond, added, 'In a place where most people don't lock their doors, like, ever, it definitely feels … just intrusive and, I don't know, terrifying.'
Police say Stewart, known as 'Sunny,' left a campground on the north shore of the pond alone at about 6 p.m. on July 2 to go paddling. The 600-acre pond is surrounded by private property and is home to loons, smallmouth bass and other aquatic life.
Sheriff's deputies, firefighters and other law enforcement officials found her body sometime after 1 a.m. on July 3. They alerted the Maine State Police Major Crimes Unit because of the 'circumstances' of the discovery, police said without going into further detail.
'The Maine State Police recognizes the fear and discomfort that this incident has brought to the town of Union and the Crawford Pond community,' police said in a statement. 'We understand the community's concerns and ask that residents continue to remain vigilant, be aware of their surroundings, and report any suspicious activity to law enforcement.'
Detectives are reviewing forensic leads and information submitted through a tip line, police said.
Stewart was a resident of Tenants Harbor, a neighborhood in the town of St. George, on the Maine coast some 20 miles south of Crawford Pond.
Her sister, Kim Ware, described Stewart as an active woman and a boat captain who once sailed all the way to the Caribbean.
'Sunny loved the outdoors, hiking, boating, paddleboarding and yoga,' she told WMTW. 'To know Sunny is an amazing blessing. My sister and my best friend. The aunt that stepped up to help me raise her nephews,' Ware added.
'Anyone blessed to be in her presence was in awe of her, her strength, courage, character, her energy and light.'
Stewart had been through a lot but kept pushing forward, one of her friends, Sarah Vokey, told WMTW.
'Her life was not an easy one, but she strode through it with her head held high with that beaming all-encompassing smile on her face,' Vokey said. 'One of the many reasons I admired, loved, and appreciated her. One of the hardest things I have ever written was the text I sent to my son: 'Sunshine was murdered.''
Meanwhile, law enforcement remains tight-lipped about the evidence they have collected since Stewart's death.
'Additional information will be released when it becomes appropriate to do so based on the progress of the investigation,' state police said.
Investigators are asking anyone who saw Stewart paddling on the evening of July 2 near 100 Acre Island to reach out to the Maine State Police at 207-624-7076. Nearby residents with security cameras that may have captured relevant footage that night are also being urged to contact police.