Police arrest teen in connection with a paddleboarder’s killing in a pond in rural Maine

PORTLAND, Maine (AP) — Police in Maine said Thursday they have arrested a 17-year-old state resident in connection with the killing of a paddleboarder who went missing on a rural pond.

The body of Sunshine Stewart, 48, of Tenants Harbor, was found this month on Crawford Pond in Union, about 80 miles (130 kilometers) north of Portland. The killing shocked and scared the community, where trips to the pond and nearby campground are a summertime staple.

Maine State Police said a teenager was taken into custody without incident in Union on Wednesday night. Police did not say why he was arrested or if he was charged, and they declined to release any other information about him as the investigation is ongoing.

The state attorney general’s office declined to comment about possible charges.

The Office of Chief Medical Examiner in Augusta determined Stewart’s cause of death was strangulation and blunt force trauma, police said.

Police said the investigation is still active. They have asked for information from anyone who may have seen Stewart paddleboarding on July 2 between 6 p.m. and 9 p.m. near 100 Acre Island on Crawford Pond, or who has any other information related to the case.

Stewart lived about 21 miles (34 kilometers) from the pond, which is a popular summer destination about 15 miles (24 kilometers) from the scenic coastal areas of the state’s midcoast region. A person reached by phone who identified herself as Stewart’s sister declined to comment.

Friends of Stewart have posted online testimonials remembering her as fiercely independent and always up for a challenge, including outdoor adventures and building projects. Over the years, she worked in many roles, including as a fisherman and bartender, friends said.

She renovated her own home in Tenants Harbor, a neighborhood in St. George, said Bruce Twyon, a friend who knew Stewart from her time living in the Virgin Islands. That spoke to her self-motivation and spirit of “getting things done and enjoying life every day,” he said.

“She was such a sweet person and very strong and independent, and took care of a lot of people,” Twyon said.

The pond, in the 2,400-resident town of Union, is approximately 600 acres (243 hectares) and does not have public access. It is available for a variety of uses, including boating and fishing. The 100 Acre Island preserve in the center of the pond is a wooded island reachable by canoe, kayak or paddleboard from a nearby campground.

The pond has numerous nooks and narrow areas, so it’s possible there were other boaters on the water at the time of the killing who were unaware someone was in danger. Police asked residents to remain aware of their surroundings and report suspicious behavior. They said in a statement the arrest was the “result of relentless investigative work” and that the teen who was arrested was transported to Long Creek Youth Development Center in South Portland.

Loved ones of Stewart — who was known as “Sunny” by her friends — launched a GoFundMe page in her honor that had raised more than $33,000 by Thursday to help celebrate her life. The page said memorial service dates were being determined.