The death of Coral Springs Vice Mayor Nancy Metayer Bowen is being investigated as domestic violence, and her husband has been charged with her killing, according to police and court materials described by authorities.
Coral Springs police Chief Brad Mock said at a news conference that officers found Nancy Metayer Bowen dead at her home in Coral Springs after police were asked to check on her well-being. Mock said the death was being investigated as a domestic violence incident.
Authorities charged Stephen Bowen, 40, with premeditated murder and with tampering with or fabricating physical evidence, according to a police affidavit cited by Mock. The affidavit described how police began their welfare check after Nancy Metayer Bowen did not show up for a meeting on Wednesday morning and did not respond to efforts to reach her by phone.
The affidavit said officers entered the home and found Nancy Metayer Bowen dead in a second-floor bedroom. It said her body was wrapped in blankets and garbage bags. The affidavit also described evidence found on the bed, saying a pillow had burn marks and string “as if it was used as a silencer.”
In a police interview, Stephen Bowen’s uncle told investigators that Stephen Bowen came to his home on Wednesday and said he had shot his wife three times the night before. The affidavit states that when asked why, Stephen Bowen said he “couldn’t take it anymore.”
The affidavit said Stephen Bowen’s mother told investigators that he had told her Tuesday that he had a panic attack and was going to speak with his wife about it. Authorities said online court records did not list an attorney who could comment for Stephen Bowen, and they reported difficulties reaching him and relatives by phone.
Metayer Bowen, the city’s first Black and Haitian American female commissioner, was elected in 2020, reelected in 2024, and appointed to a second one-year term as vice mayor in November, according to her biography on the city’s website. The biography says she was an environmental scientist and previously led environmental justice efforts across Florida with a focus on community resilience.
At the news conference, City Manager Catherine Givens described Metayer Bowen as a leader and said, “She wasn’t just a leader. She was the light in every room that she entered. She was a steady voice in difficult times, a compassionate soul who lifted others up and a friend to so many,” adding, “Our hearts are truly broken.”
Florida Democratic Party Chair Nikki Fried also issued a statement recalling Metayer Bowen. Fried said she remembered hugging Metayer Bowen at a leadership summit two weeks ago, “never imagining it would be one of our last moments together.” Fried added, “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.”