‘Pursuing every avenue’: What we know about the paddleboarder killed in Maine

Nearly two weeks after a paddleboarder in Maine was killed, police have released few details about the homicide that has rocked a close-knit fishing community.

Sunshine Stewart, 48, went missing the evening of July 2 after she took her paddleboard out on Crawford Pond in Union, Maine. Stewart, a resident of Tenants Harbor, was found dead after officials responded to help search for her at 1 a.m. on Thursday, July 3.

Police announced that Stewart’s death was ruled a homicide, but have not released her exact cause of death. Anyone who may have seen her or anything near 100 Acre Island, the landmass in the middle of the pond, are asked to contact police.

After Maine State Police found the woman’s body, the agency established a tipline and warned residents to stay vigilant.

Almost two weeks later, there have been no arrests. 

“Detectives continue to follow up on all leads, and tips are still coming in,” Shannon Moss, a spokesperson for the Maine State Police, said Monday. “Detectives are actively pursuing every avenue, and we will provide updates when it’s appropriate and responsible to do so.”

Moss noted that releasing Stewart’s cause of death “could compromise the integrity of the investigation.” 

Victim’s sister, small, Maine communities react

Kim Ware, Stewart’s sister who organized an online fundraiser for funeral expenses, called Stewart “the strongest person I know.”

Ware, who could not be reached for comment, told ABC News Stewart was a marine biologist, the “world’s best bartender, sternman, lobsterman and boat captain” and was working as a contractor.

“Anyone blessed to be in her presence was in awe of her, her strength, courage, character, her energy and light,” Ware said. “Truly an amazing woman. Now we have to rally and give her justice!”

Stewart grew up in the Union area and attended Medomak Valley High School and Bradford College in Haverhill, according to the Midcoast Villager. A longtime friend told the local outlet that Stewart had rented a camper and was spending the summer at Mic Mac Campground in Union. 

Residents in midcoast Maine, including Union, the area around Crawford Pond, and Tenants Harbor, are unnerved by the killing and the lack of information from officials. 

“The whole thing is just really hard to wrap your head around,” an employee at the Tenants Harbor General Store told the Bangor Daily News, where Stewart was a familiar face.  “A lot of people knew her, and you know, it’s devastating when something like that happens.”

Steve Betts, a longtime reporter for the Villager covering Stewart’s death, spoke to News Center Maine about the case, which he described as “the biggest mystery I’ve been involved in since I’ve been here.”

“There’s no question people are on edge,” Betts told the newscenter. “People are saying it. People are saying on social media. People I’ve talked with, they’re concerned for their daughters, they’re concerned for their granddaughters, their wives. And they’re [law enforcement] telling people lock your doors.”

Molly Farrar is a general assignment reporter for Boston.com, focusing on education, politics, crime, and more.