Sharon Bukulmez, 61, and grandchildren Kinley Grubb, 5, and Sawyer Grubb, 3, were found dead in a submerged vehicle in Pond Cove, Maine, on Sept. 20. Their father, Peter Grubb, said his mother died trying to help them escape.
Bukulmez and the children were last seen around 8:30 p.m. Sept. 19, leaving a family event in Jonesboro for Machias; they never arrived at the Airbnb where they were expected. Police said cellphone location data pointed to water near a boat ramp in Roque Bluffs. The vehicle was found around 7 a.m. Sept. 20.
Autopsies are planned to determine the cause and manner of death, and the deaths remain under investigation. Grubb and friends remembered Bukulmez for her generosity and for providing them a welcoming space as teenagers; they said they hope to carry that sense of community forward.
