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.
Sources told Florida Politics there were “multiple gunshots” at the residence. Police have not yet corroborated that information. Coral Springs Police Chief Brad Mock noted at a press conference Wednesday evening that the case remains an active investigation and that the Department was unable to immediately provide additional information.
“I cannot answer any questions,” he told reporters.
Police visited Metayer Bowen’s home after a friend called and couldn’t reach her, one source told Florida Politics. The friend then contacted Bowen, who “sounded suspicious,” prompting the friend to call the police.
Officers then went to the house, located at the 800 block of Northwest 127th Avenue, and found Metayer Bowen dead. They then put out a call for Bowen.
Plantation license plate readers got a hit on Bowen’s car along SR 7/U.S. 441. Shortly thereafter, the Broward Sheriff’s Office apprehended him at the Landmark Towers apartment complex.
Police have not announced the manner of Nancy Metayer Bowen's death, which came a few months after her brother died by suicide and days before she was set to announce a run for Congress, according to a Florida lawmaker.
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.
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.”