The vice mayor of Coral Springs, Florida, was found dead at her home on Wednesday morning, and authorities later arrested her husband and charged him with premeditated murder.
Nancy Metayer Bowen, 38, was discovered by police officers conducting a wellness check at around 10:00 a.m., according to authorities.
Her husband, 40-year-old Stephen Bowen, was later arrested at an apartment complex in Plantation, Florida, about 13 miles south of Coral Springs. He faces charges of premeditated murder and tampering with or fabricating physical evidence, NBC Miami reported.
Coral Springs Police Chief Brad Mock said the case “is being investigated as a domestic violence incident,” but declined to reveal additional details as the investigation remains ongoing.
“To say today is a very dark day for us in Coral Springs is an understatement,” City Manager Catherine Givens said at the press conference. “Our hearts are truly broken.”
According to Florida Politics, a friend attempted to call Metayer Bowen on Wednesday morning but was unable to reach her. After speaking with her husband, who reportedly “sounded suspicious,” the friend contacted the police. Authorities later used license plate readers to track down Stephen Bowen in Plantation, where he was detained by the Broward County Sheriff’s Office.
Metayer Bowen, a Haitian American, was first elected to the city commission in 2020 and re-elected in 2024. Last November, she was tapped to serve a second term as vice mayor. She was seen as a rising star within the Democratic Party in South Florida. Metayer Bowen received a master’s degree in environmental health sciences and interned for the Obama administration, former Florida Democratic Sen. Bill Nelson, and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.
During the 2024 presidential campaign, she served as the Caribbean vote director for former President Joe Biden and later for former Vice President Kamala Harris. Last March, Metayer Bowen was tapped by the Florida Democratic Party to serve as its vice chair of Haitian American Voter Engagement.
“She had such a good heart, truly cared about people. Even when people were saying some of the most horrible things about her,” City Commissioner Joshua Simmons said.
Metayer Bowen’s family released a statement Wednesday evening confirming the politician’s tragic death.
“Throughout her years in public office, she led with integrity, compassion, and an unwavering sense of purpose,” the family said. “She believed in bringing people together, listening to those she served, and working tirelessly to create positive change in her community. To us, she was a source of strength, wisdom, and love — someone who always put others before herself.”
