Who was Nancy Metayer Bowen? Coral Springs Vice Mayor killed in suspected domestic violence incident

Coral Springs Vice Mayor Nancy Metayer Bowen was found dead in her home on Wednesday morning, with authorities saying her husband, Stephen Bowen, is in police custody in connection with her killing. Police found the 38-year-old city leader during a welfare check at around 10 am, and the case is now being investigated as a domestic violence incident, according to Coral Springs Police Chief Brad Mock. 

Officials confirmed that no additional suspects are being sought, and no details about the circumstances of the shooting have yet been released. News of her death has stunned the South Florida community, where Metayer Bowen was widely regarded as a rising political figure and a dedicated public servant.

Early life, career and historic election

Metayer Bowen was first elected to the Coral Springs City Commission in 2020, securing re-election four years later. In November 2025, she was appointed to a second, one-year term as vice mayor. She was the first Black and Haitian American woman to serve as a commissioner in the city, marking a significant milestone in local politics.

Before entering public office, she built a career as an environmental scientist and previously served on the Broward County Soil and Water Conservation District. Her work in environmental advocacy and sustainability later shaped her roles as Commission Liaison to multiple committees, including the Accessibility Advisory Group, the Affordable Housing Advisory Committee, the Charter School Advisory Board, the Environmental Sustainability Committee and the Broward County Climate Change Task Force.

She later gained national political exposure when former President Joe Biden and former Vice President Kamala Harris appointed her as Florida’s Caribbean Vote Director during the 2024 presidential campaign.

A community mourns

The City of Coral Springs paid tribute to Metayer Bowen in a Facebook post, calling her “a light in our community.”

The statement continued: “Her leadership was grounded in compassion, strength, and an unwavering commitment to others. Her impact on Coral Springs is immeasurable, and her loss leaves a void in our hearts. We ask our community to keep her family, loved ones, and all who are grieving in your thoughts and prayers. In this difficult time, we stand together as one city. We will carry her light, even in this darkness.”

Florida Representative Jared Moskowitz said she had been preparing to announce a congressional run this week. According to the Miami Herald, she had planned to challenge Rep. Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick in the Democratic primary. Cherfilus-McCormick has been indicted over allegations involving the misuse of disaster relief funds in her political campaign.

Family tragedy

Metayer Bowen’s family had endured profound loss in recent years. Her younger brother, Donovan Joshua Leigh Metayer, a survivor of the 2018 mass shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School, died by suicide on 15 December 2025 after what she described as “a seven-year battle with schizophrenia.”

She wrote at the time that the loss of her family’s youngest child was “a sorrow beyond words, one that will echo through our lives, forever.” A GoFundMe page created by the family echoed the devastation left by his death.

Who is Stephen Bowen?

Stephen Bowen, 40, was taken into custody shortly after police found the vice mayor’s body. He was booked into the Broward County jail in Fort Lauderdale, according to Reuters. Court records had not yet listed an attorney for him as of Wednesday, and it remains unclear whether he has retained legal counsel.

Bowen is listed as the chief operating officer of Men of St. Luke, a religious and fraternal non-profit organisation based in Broward County.

Metayer Bowen frequently shared messages and photos of her husband on Facebook. On their wedding anniversary last November, she wrote: “Three years of building, dreaming, and loving each other through everything. Happy Anniversary Stephen Bowen.”

In a birthday post the previous year, she added that she felt “anchored by the love of my incredible husband Stephen Bowen.”