A Florida vice mayor seen as a rising political star was found dead at her home Wednesday and her husband was arrested on suspicion of premeditated murder, authorities said.
Coral Springs Vice Mayor Nancy Metayer Bowen’s body was found by police who were conducting a wellness check, according to a statement from the city. The Coral Springs Police Department, located in Broward County, has initiated an investigation.
Metayer Bowen’s husband, Stephen Bowen, was arrested following a preliminary investigation, the city said, adding that “it was determined the incident was domestic in nature” and there were no additional suspects at this time.
The Broward Sheriff’s Office website listed Bowen, 40, as in custody and booked under the charges of premeditated murder and tampering or fabricating physical evidence.
Bowen is accused of fatally shooting the vice mayor and was arrested after concerned officials raised alarm that Metayer Bowen missed scheduled meetings Wednesday and was not responding to messages, according to an arrest affidavit released Thursday by the Coral Springs Police Department.
Before becoming vice mayor, Metayer Bowen was the first Black and Haitian American female commissioner of Coral Springs. She was first elected in 2020 and then re-elected in 2024, according to the city website. In 2025, she was appointed to serve a second term as the vice mayor for the city of Coral Springs by her fellow commissioners, according to the city website.
Metayer Bowen was also an environmental scientist and, before her role on the Coral Springs City Commission, she “led environmental justice efforts across the state of Florida, focusing on enhancing community resilience,” according to the city website.
The city said that during her time as a member of the Broward County Soil and Water Conservation District, her work had been “instrumental in addressing water crises and responding to major natural disasters, including Hurricanes Irma, Michael, and Dorian.”
Metayer Bowen’s family released a statement saying she was “a cherished member of our family, but also a dedicated public servant who committed her life to improving the lives of others.”
“Her legacy will live on not only in the policies she helped shape, but in the countless lives she touched,” the family said.
A family member called police about Bowen
Officials first grew concerned about Metayer Bowen after she was missing from meetings Wednesday morning.
An official, whose name is redacted, received a text from Metayer Bowen at 8 a.m. Wednesday titled “Discussion Items” and then never heard from her after.
That person tried to get through to Metayer Bowen through her husband, who responded she was “not picking up,” and later added, “Where is she? Her car is not at home,” the affidavit said.
When police arrived at the couple’s home, they did not see any cars in the driveway and were not able to communicate with anyone inside the home, according to the affidavit. Police tried to contact Bowen several times, but received no response, the affidavit said.
A detective searched the outside of the property and found “outward, explosive-like damage” on the second floor that appeared “consistent with force originating within the structure,” the affidavit said.
At around 1:39 p.m., police spotted Bowen’s car in a parking lot with an occupant that “matched Stephen Bowen’s description,” the affidavit said. That man was seen handing off a bag to another man that “appeared consistent with a firearm carrying case,” the document said.
Minutes later, a person whose name was redacted in the affidavit called Coral Springs police and said their nephew, Bowen, had come to their house that morning and said “he did something to” Metayer Bowen and that she “was not alive,” the document said.
Police sent a SWAT team into the home and found Metayer Bowen’s body in her second-floor bedroom, the affidavit said. Bowen was taken into custody around 2:35 p.m.
While executing a search warrant, police found three spent shotgun shells wrapped in the blankets with Metayer Bowen’s body, the affidavit said.
A preliminary examination showed an apparent shotgun wound to Metayer Bowen’s left shoulder, the document said.
According to the affidavit, police also spoke to a person, whose name was redacted, who said Bowen told him he shot Metayer Bowen “three times with a shotgun the previous night and then slept downstairs.”
When asked why, Bowen allegedly said he “couldn’t take it anymore,” according to the affidavit.
‘She had such a future’
Lawmakers around the state expressed condolences and shock at the death of the “beloved” vice mayor, while praising her leadership.
Florida Democratic Party Chair Nikki Fried said in a Wednesday statement that “it is with a broken heart and profound grief that the Florida Democratic Party mourns the sudden and horrific death of our beloved Vice Chair, Nancy Metayer Bowen.”
“Nancy was not simply our Vice Chair of Haitian Outreach. She was a scientist. An environmentalist. A brilliant barrier-breaker who made history as the first Black and Haitian-American woman elected to the Coral Springs City Commission,” Fried said. “A Vice Mayor who showed up every single day for the people she served. She loved her community deeply and believed, with every fiber of her being, that a better and more equitable future was possible for all of us.”
Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis said on social media that he and his wife were “shocked and saddened by this terrible news. We send our condolences to Nancy’s friends and family.”
Rep. Jared Moskowitz, D-Fla., said on social media that he was “in shock” after learning about Metayer Bowen’s death.
“I was just with her on Saturday. She just buried her brother. She was about to announce she was running for Congress,” he wrote. “Nancy was one of the nicest people I worked with. Always fighting for her community, always pushing to help. She had such a future. This is terrible.”
North Miami Mayor Alix Desulme described Metayer Bowen as a “pillar of her community, a dedicated advocate for her neighbors, and a tireless voice for those who too often go unheard.”
South Miami Mayor Javier Fernández said Metayer Bowen “was a light in a world” that often seems overwhelmingly dark.
“A true believer and individual dedicated to service at her core. Her loss is profound,” he said on social media.
Broward County Mayor Mark Bogen said in a statement that Metayer Bowen “served her community with dedication and heart, and the impact of her dedicated public service will be felt across Broward County.”
“Our thoughts are with her family, colleagues, and the Coral Springs community during this difficult time,” he said.
