Coral Springs Vice Mayor Nancy Metayer Bowen was found dead at home after officers conducted a wellness check, officials said on Thursday.
Her death is being investigated as domestic violence and her husband has been charged with premeditated murder and tampering with or fabricating physical evidence, Chief Brad Mock said at a news conference.
Stephen Bowen, 40, is being held at Broward County’s main jail, according to online records and there are no additional suspects, Mock said.
Metayer Bowen, the city's first Black and Haitian American female commissioner, was elected in 2020 and reelected in 2024 and appointed to serve a second, one-year term as vice mayor in November, according to her biography on the city’s website. She was an environmental scientist and before serving as a commissioner she led environmental justice efforts across Florida with a focus on community resilience.
Metayer Bowen also served as the vice chair of the Florida Democratic Party. In a statement, Party Chair Nikki Fried remembered hugging Metayer Bowen at a leadership summit two weeks ago, “never imagining it would be one of our last moments together.”
An attorney was not listed on Stephen Bowen’s behalf and one responded immediately to messages left by The Associated Press at phone listings for Stephen Bowen and his relatives. A person hung up at one of those phone numbers.
“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,” Fried said. “Above all, Nancy was my friend and a friend to everyone who has ever believed that democracy was worth fighting for. The world is less bright without her in it.”
Metayer Bowen gave much of herself to Coral Springs, which is about 20 miles (32 kilometers) northwest of Fort Lauderdale, City Manager Catherine Givens said at Wednesday's news conference.
“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,” Givens said. “Our hearts are truly broken.”
