After a paddleboarder's unsolved killing in Maine, authorities urge people to stay vigilant
Share this @internewscast.com

Just a few days after a paddleboarder’s mysterious death in Maine, state law enforcement authorities announced that they are still examining leads and advised local residents to stay alert.

“The Maine State Police acknowledges the anxiety and unease that this event has caused in the town of Union and among residents near Crawford Pond,” stated the Maine State Police in a release on Wednesday. “We are committed to thoroughly investigating the death of 48-year-old Sunshine Stewart.”

Stewart’s body was discovered on July 3 in Union, about 30 miles east of Augusta, following a report of a missing paddleboarder, according to state police.

An autopsy determined Stewart’s manner of death to be homicide, the agency said. Her cause of death has not been released. A state police official confirmed a report that Stewart was found “under unusual circumstances.”

The agency said the owners of a nearby campground have been cooperative with investigators and asked for information from anyone who saw Stewart paddleboarding between 6 p.m. and 9 p.m. July 2 near an island in Crawford Pond.

The agency has released few other details about her death, but said Wednesday that major crimes investigators have been examining all of the leads pushed through its tip line and continue to follow “every investigative and forensic avenue.”

A longtime friend of Stewart’s, Kimberly Hamill, told NBC News that it was “impossible” to make sense of her death.

“I grew up in Union, and as far I know, nothing like this has ever happened there,” she said. “For it to have happened to Sunshine is like, how could that even be? It just makes it feel like nothing will be right again ever.”

Hamill described Stewart as a solid friend who’d lived an incredible life: She was a carpenter who ran her own construction business. She was a boat captain who’d sailed to the Virgin Islands. She didn’t graduate high school but managed to earn a degree in marine biology, Hamill said.

“I want people to remember her as the force of nature that she was,” Hamill said. “She was such a loyal, good person. That was her most memorable quality — how much she believed in everybody.”

Share this @internewscast.com
You May Also Like

Texas Inspectors Cleared Camp Mystic’s Emergency Plan Just 2 Days Before Fatal Flood, Records Show

HUNT, Texas (AP) Texas inspectors signed off on Camp Mystic’s emergency planning…

Savannah Unveils Hostess City Food and Wine Festival

SAVANNAH, Ga. () — The 2025 Hostess City Food and Wine Fest Savannah, a…

Trump to Assess Texas Flood Damage Amidst Criticism Over FEMA Reductions

WASHINGTON () President Donald Trump and first lady Melania Trump will visit…

AI-Driven Hotel Welcomes World Leaders and Dignitaries for Inaugural Event

LAS VEGAS (KLAS) — Southern Nevada’s first AI-powered hotel made headlines Thursday,…

Flooded Roads and Power Outages Hit Coastal Empire and Lowcountry

SAVANNAH, Ga. () — Officials warned residents of several roads across Chatham…

Illinois Families and Economy at Risk Due to SNAP Benefit Reductions, Warn Food Banks

CHICAGO (WGN) — As President Trump’s budget bill comes into effect, hundreds…

Double Fatality in Coles County: Two Lose Lives in Separate Crashes on Thursday Night, Says Coroner

COLES COUNTY, Ill. (WCIA) — Two individuals lost their lives in two…

U.N. Investigator Criticizing Israel’s Gaza Actions Expresses Shock Over U.S. Sanctions

SARAJEVO – An independent U.N. investigator critical of Israel’s actions in Gaza…

Florida Lawmakers Sue for Access to Restricted Alligator Alcatraz Facility

In Tampa, Florida, a group of five Democratic legislators has initiated legal…

Chris Brown Denies New Charges in London Nightclub Assault Case

Copyright 2025 The Associated Press. All rights reserved Grammy-winning singer Chris Brown…

Tensions Rise Between Trump and Harvard Following President’s Claims of Imminent Agreement

(The Hill) — The Trump administration is intensifying its conflict with Harvard…

Senators Face Funding Hurdle for Relocating Trump FBI Headquarters

The Senate Appropriations Committee sputtered Thursday as its consideration of the annual…