Latest news with #SunnyStewart
CNN
17-07-2025
- CNN
Police arrest a 17-year-old in this month's killing of a paddleboarder in Maine
FacebookTweetLink A 17-year-old male has been arrested in the killing of a woman whose body was discovered hours after she went paddleboarding on a wooded pond this month near coastal Maine. Sunshine 'Sunny' Stewart, 48, died from strangulation and blunt force trauma, Maine State Police said in a statement Thursday. Investigators said she had gone paddleboarding alone the evening of July 2 on Crawford Pond in Union. After she didn't return hours later, someone reported her missing. Her body was found near an island in the middle of the pond sometime after 1 a.m. on July 3. Police said they arrested the teen in Union on Wednesday night without incident. He was taken to the Long Creek Youth Development Center — a juvenile detention facility in South Portland, Maine. Under Maine law the identity of juvenile offenders is typically not made public. A spokesperson for the Maine State Police declined to comment when reached by CNN for additional information. Stewart lived in Tenants Harbor, a neighborhood in the town of St. George about 20 miles south of Crawford Pond. Her friend, Rachael Blumenberg, who was staying with her, said she got home the night she went missing and found Stewart's dog alone. She knew something was wrong. 'The house was completely dark, and her dog was there, and she's very devoted to her dog,' Blumenberg told CNN affiliate WMTW. Stewart was planning to host family for the Fourth of July weekend, her friends said. The arrest brought a rush of conflicting emotions. 'I am floored with elation and grief,' Blumenberg told WMTW. The lack of information after her killing prompted residents' concern as police warned the community to stay vigilant. After news of her killing emerged, Gus Williams told CNN affiliate WMTW that Crawford Pond is so safe, people who live in the area don't lock their doors. 'Like, ever, it definitely feels … just intrusive and, I don't know, terrifying,' he said before the arrest. Stewart 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 alerted the Maine State Police Major Crimes Unit after they found her body because of the 'circumstances' of the discovery, police said then without going into further detail. 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 the affiliate. '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 her death. The investigation is ongoing, and no more information will be released at this time, police said.
The Sun
10-07-2025
- The Sun
Paddleboarder, 48, found dead after vanishing while on pond during camp trip as cops launch hunt for ‘killer'
A PADDLEBOARDER who mysteriously vanished during a camping trip has been found dead. Sunshine 'Sunny' Stewart's body was found just hours after she went out onto the water in Maine. 3 3 The 48-year-old had been on a camping trip in Union - around 80 miles northeast of Portland - and was seen going into the water on July 2. Stewart, an avid paddleboarder, is believed to have gone out on the town's Crawford Pond between 6pm and 9pm. The pond has a maximum depth of 57 feet and is home to various fish species, including brown trout, smallmouth bass, and the American eel. Stewart, who lives around 20 miles from the pond, was reported missing, sparking a frantic search. Stewart's body was found in the early hours of July 3 by game wardens and investigators ruled it was unlikely she had drowned. They ruled out drowning, as well as suicide, because of the state of her body. It's not known if her body was found on water or had been dumped on land. Investigators believed Stewart, a former marine biologist and an experienced paddleboarder, was murdered. Stewart's death has since been ruled a homicide, but Maine cops have not shared any details as to how she was killed. Cops have said they will investigate every possible lead in a bid to resolve the mystery. Investigators have appealed for any security footage at the time Stewart disappeared. Her death has left locals and friends traumatized. Devastated pal, Meredith Smith, said people who knew Stewart were in awe of her. TRIBUTES POUR IN 'Rest easy my beautiful friend,' Chris Dee wrote on Facebook. Stacey Yendell noted how Stewart had an 'unstoppable' spirit. 'Sunny was a force of bold and unapologetically alive,' she told the CBS affiliate WABI-TV. Kim Ware, Stewart's sister, said she was the 'strongest person' that she knew. 'Now we have to rally and give her justice,' she warned. Ware described Stewart as the 'light in our lives' in a heartbreaking tribute shared on GoFundMe. Meanwhile, Stewart's cousin said she lived a "quiet life" as they couldn't comprehend what had happened on the pond. "Sunny was independent and did many things on her own," they wrote on Reddit. "She lived a quiet, peaceful life with a great respect for nature and the simple things. She did not deserve this." Cops have primarily focused their investigation on the Mic Mac Cove Family Campground in the town. 3
