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Maine 17-year-old arrested in paddleboarder’s murder
Sunshine Stewart, 48, died of strangulation and blunt force trauma, Maine authorities announced Thursday.
Police in Maine have arrested a 17-year-old boy in the puzzling murder of a woman who disappeared while paddleboarding on Crawford Pond in Union earlier this month.
Sunshine Stewart, 48, went missing the evening of July 2 and was found dead the following day. The state’s Office of Chief Medical Examiner determined the Tenants Harbor resident died of strangulation and blunt force trauma, the Maine Department of Public Safety announced Thursday.
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For about two weeks following Stewart’s killing, authorities revealed few public details about the ongoing homicide investigation. That is, until Maine State Police arrested the 17-year-old male at about 10:30 p.m. Wednesday in Union.
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The teen, who is also a Maine resident, has been transported to the Long Creek Youth Development Center in South Portland, the Department of Public Safety said. Authorities have not released his name.
Per local news station WMTW, an official familiar with the investigation said the suspect frequently visits the Crawford Pond area with his family for summer vacations.
Stewart had been planning to spend the summer in a camper at Mic Mac Campground, the Midcoast Villager previously reported. Her body was reportedly found near 100 Acre Island, which sits in the middle of Crawford Pond.
“The arrest is the result of relentless investigative work by Detectives and Investigators with the Maine State Police,” the Department of Public Safety said in a news release.
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The murder investigation remains active and ongoing. Authorities urged anyone with relevant information to contact State Police at 207-624-7076 or by texting “MESPTIP” to 847411.
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