17-Year-Old Boy Arrested for Strangling Paddleboarder & Dumping Her Body on Remote Island

On Wednesday, Maine police arrested a 17-year-old boy for killing a woman who was found dead earlier this month.

The Midcoast Villager reported that the teen was arrested without incident in Union. On July 3, Sunshine Stewart, 48, was found dead at Crawford Pond in Union on July 3.

The Office of Chief Medical Examiner in Augusta ruled Stewart’s death a homicide, concluding she was strangled and suffered blunt force trauma. WMTW reported that Stewart’s body was located at 100 Acre Island, an area of the pond that can only be accessed by boat.

Stewart is believed to have vanished on July 2 from the Mic Mac Campground, where she had been the past few days. Stewart planned to stay on the campgrounds for the summer, but concerns arose the following day when she did not return from paddle boarding.

During their investigation, police reportedly took DNA samples from one male who was staying near the pond.

According to the Maine Wire, the killer was staying at Crawford Pond for the summer with his family. He allegedly tried to conceal Stewart’s body on the island after the slaying.

The boy — who has not been publicly identified due to his age — was transported to the Long Creek Youth Detention Facility in South Portland. The Maine Attorney General’s Office will decide whether he will be charged as an adult.

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