Police arrest a 17-year-old in the killing of a paddleboarder on a Maine pond
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.
She was planning a July 4th gathering, friends say
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.
Authorities called the Major Crimes Unit after finding her body
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.
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