Maine Paddleboarder Sunshine Stewart Was Murdered, Police Confirm as Manhunt for Killer Intensifies
Meta Description: The death of Sunshine Stewart, 48, found after paddleboarding in Union, Maine, has been ruled a homicide. Police are searching for her killer.
The death of a woman who vanished while paddleboarding on a picturesque Maine lake has been ruled a homicide, officials announced Monday, triggering an urgent search for her killer. Sunshine “Sunny” Stewart, 48, was reported missing before her body was discovered Thursday at Crawford Pond in the coastal town of Union. An autopsy has since confirmed she was murdered, though investigators are withholding the specific cause of death.
The discovery has shattered the tranquility of the small community, located about 30 miles from Augusta, and left a family searching for justice.
An ‘Unusual’ Discovery
Maine State Police confirmed that an autopsy conducted by the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner determined Stewart’s death was a homicide. The decision to not release the cause of death is a common investigative strategy, often employed to protect information that only the perpetrator would know.
Officials familiar with the investigation told ABC News that Stewart’s body was found under “unusual circumstances.” The condition of her remains immediately suggested her death was not the result of a suicide or an accidental drowning, prompting the high-level criminal investigation.
The case has now pivoted from a missing person search to a full-scale murder inquiry, with law enforcement working to piece together a timeline of Stewart’s final hours.
Intensive Manhunt Underway
Investigators are pursuing “all possible leads” and “every investigative avenue” to find the person responsible for Stewart’s killing, according to a statement from the Maine State Police. The comprehensive effort includes a thorough perimeter search of the area around Crawford Pond and canvassing the neighborhood for any surveillance or security camera footage that could provide a clue.
The public’s help is considered critical. Authorities have issued a specific appeal for information from anyone who may have seen Stewart on her paddleboard on the evening of July 2.
- Who: Sunshine “Sunny” Stewart, 48
- What: Paddleboarding
- Where: Near 100 Acre Island on Crawford Pond in Union, Maine
- When: Between 6 p.m. and 9 p.m. on July 2
Anyone with information is urged to contact the Maine State Police at 207-624-7076. In a broader warning, police encouraged the public to “remain aware of their surroundings and report any suspicious behavior.”
‘Energy and Light’: Remembering Sunshine Stewart
As the homicide investigation continues, those who knew Stewart are mourning the loss of a vibrant and multifaceted woman. Her sister, Kim Ware, described her as a pillar of strength who embodied generosity.
“She was the strongest person I know,” Ware said, noting Stewart would “give you the shirt off her back.”
Stewart’s diverse life experiences included work as a marine biologist, bartender, sternman, lobsterman, boat captain, and most recently, a contractor. “Anyone blessed to be in her presence was in awe of her, her strength, courage, character, her energy and light,” Ware added. “Truly an amazing woman. Now we have to rally and give her justice!”
Close friend Sarah Vokey recalled Stewart’s “all-encompassing smile,” even while navigating a life that “was not an easy one.” The shock of the news was devastating. “One of the hardest things I have ever written,” Vokey said in a statement, “was the text that I sent to my son, ‘Sunshine was murdered.'”
