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A Coral Springs city leader was found dead in her home after police say her husband admitted to shooting her the night before, according to a law-enforcement affidavit released Thursday. The arrest has left local officials and residents grappling with the sudden loss of a high-profile public servant and raised questions about safety and accountability in the community.
What police say happened
Authorities arrested Stephen Bowen on a charge of first-degree murder after an affidavit says he told a relative he had shot his wife, Nancy Metayer Bowen, three times with a shotgun. The document outlines a sequence of events that began when Metayer Bowen failed to attend a scheduled city commission meeting Wednesday morning.
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When she did not respond to calls and messages, a city official asked a patrol officer to check on her. Officers who later went to the couple’s home found no vehicles in the driveway and no answer at the door. A neighbor reported seeing Metayer Bowen walking her dog around midnight but not afterward.
Timeline and evidence outlined by investigators
- Police arrived at the home at about 10:20 a.m. and observed damage on the second floor and drywall debris consistent with an object having been fired through a wall, the probable cause affidavit says.
- Around 1:30 p.m., officers located Bowen’s truck in a nearby lot and began surveillance. He was seen giving a bag to a relative; minutes later that person called 911 and told police Bowen had said he “did something” and that his wife was dead.
- The relative told investigators Bowen admitted to shooting Metayer Bowen three times the previous night and then going to sleep downstairs, according to the affidavit.
- Officers then entered the home for a safety sweep and found Metayer Bowen’s body in bed. Investigators reported three spent shell casings wrapped in a blanket near the body and a pillow showing burn marks that the affidavit says was used to muffle the shotgun blasts.
Police have not publicly released a motive. The case remains under active investigation and prosecutors have filed formal murder charges.
Who Nancy Metayer Bowen was
Metayer Bowen was a two-term member of the Coral Springs City Commission and had been serving a second term as vice mayor since November. She made history as the first Black woman and the first Haitian American elected to the commission and held a leadership role in state Democratic Party outreach efforts.
Florida Democratic Party officials mourned her death, describing her as a committed public servant, an environmental scientist and a community advocate whose election marked an important milestone for representation in Coral Springs.
The death of a sitting vice mayor has prompted officials to stress both the ongoing nature of the probe and the impact on local governance. The community is expected to receive updates as investigators and prosecutors prepare for next steps in the case.
