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)
A multi-agency search was launched after officials received reports of a missing paddleboarder, with authorities with the Maine Game Wardens locating Stewart’s body at approximately 1 a.m. the next morning, police said.
Following the gruesome discovery, investigators with the MSP Major Crimes Central Unit were called in to investigate the circumstances surrounding Stewart’s "suspicious death," according to the department.
An autopsy ruled Stewart’s death a homicide, with officials choosing not to release the cause of death, according to the press release.
The killing has ignited fear within the local community as authorities have not yet named a suspect in the paddleboarder’s mysterious murder.
"The Maine State Police recognizes the fear and discomfort that this incident has brought to the town of Union and the Crawford Pond community," the department said in a statement on Wednesday.
The incident comes as paranoia surrounding the possibility of a serial killer lurking within the New England region grips the area following a series of unexplained deaths in recent months.
Sunshine "Sunny" Stewart's body was found after she disappeared during a paddleboarding trip near Crawford Pond in Union, Maine, on July 3, 2025. (Sunshine Stewart/Facebook)
At least 13 bodies have been discovered throughout Rhode Island, Connecticut, Massachusetts and Maine since March 2025 – with the majority found in wooded or remote areas.
Last month, the body of 21-year-old Adriana Suazo was found in a wooded area in Milton, Massachusetts, according to the Norfolk District Attorney’s Office. Following an investigation by the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner, authorities announced that Suazo’s remains showed no signs of trauma, with her cause of death still waiting to be determined.
Despite the string of victims found throughout the region, authorities are urging the public to remain calm as officials investigate the circumstances surrounding Stewart’s death.
