Fox News – One week after a Maine paddleboarder was found murdered in a local neighborhood pond, members of the community are left searching for answers as fears of a potential serial killer grips the sleepy coastal town.
The body of 48-year-old Sunshine “Sunny” Stewart was discovered in the early morning of July 3, just six hours after she had left for a solo paddleboarding trip around Crawford Pond, according to the Maine State Police.
Stewart’s remains were reportedly found near 100 Acre Island, a wooded area accessible only by boat, according to WMTW 8.
Officials have remained tight-lipped about the investigation into the “suspicious” circumstances surrounding Stewart’s death, which has been ruled a homicide.
“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,” Gus Williams, who lives near Crawford Pond, told WMTW 8.
Despite the growing unease within the local community, authorities are asking the public to remain calm.
Sunshine “Sunny” Stewart was killed while paddleboarding in Maine
Authorities are investigating the “suspicious death” of Sunshine “Sunny” Stewart after she went missing while on a paddleboarding trip near Crawford Pond in Union, Maine on July 3, 2025. (Sunshine Stewart/Facebook)
In a statement released by MSP on Wednesday, officials acknowledged the “fear and discomfort that this incident has brought to the town of Union and the Crawford Pond community,” while vowing to continue investigating Stewart’s death.
However, authorities have not revealed whether they have named a suspect in Stewart’s death or the circumstances of how she was killed.
