Friend of slain paddleboarder in “shock and disbelief” after arrest of teenager
By Bonnie Bishop
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UNION, Maine (WMTW) — The arrest of a juvenile in a homicide case in Union is now prompting several different reactions from the local community and those who are grieving Sunshine “Sunny” Stewart.
Maine State Police announced on Thursday the arrest of a 17-year-0ld boy in connection with the Stewart’s homicide case. The juvenile was arrested on Wednesday.
Stewart was found dead two weeks ago after paddleboarding on a pond in Union.
“I don’t know if we’ll ever really understand why this happened and why this individual did this to Sunny, and that is really hard,” said Bethany Parmley, a longtime friend of Stewart.
Parmley said she feels some of the relief that locals are experiencing, but said there’s shock and disbelief.
“It’s been really difficult,” Parmley said. “It’s been, it really seems unreal. It’s very hard to kind of process and take it all and just, you know, that I’m not ever going to see her again.”
Parmley grew up with Stewart, meeting in the third grade.
“It is hard to imagine any reason for this that makes sense,” Parmley said. “It’s hard to imagine anything other than a very troubled, troubled individual.”
The juvenile’s identity has not been revealed, but he is in custody at Long Creek Youth Development Center in South Portland.
Police also revealed Stewart’s cause of death on Thursday: blunt-force trauma and strangulation.
Parmley said she wonders if Stewart was in the wrong place at the wrong time. Even if she does get all of the details, Parmley said she doesn’t know if that will make it any easier.
She said she hopes that family and friends of Stewart can begin grieving in a normal way, remembering her and the remarkable life she had.
“She just is a model for all of us for how to just like, every day live our lives, go out and do whatever it is we want to do,” Parmley said.
“People are very relieved today,” said Rep. Katrina Smith about the police’s update.
The community may feel some ease, but the announcement is still unsettling.
“I was 100 percent shocked. I wasn’t expecting this to be a child. Expecting it to be a stranger, an adult,” said campground owner Katherine Lunt. “This is not OK. This does not happen in our town. We are grieving right now. We all need to be together, for Sunny.”
Parmley said she still has so many questions left, but wants people to focus on the way Stewart lived her life and who she was as a person.
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