Stephen Bowen, a Florida man, has been charged with first‑degree murder in the shooting death of his wife, Coral Springs Vice Mayor Nancy Metayer Bowen, whom he allegedly shot three times with a shotgun using a pillow as a makeshift silencer. Police say he then went to sleep while her body remained upstairs in their home.
How the incident unfolded
Officers responded after Metayer Bowen failed to show up for a scheduled city commission meeting on Wednesday morning and did not answer calls or texts. A patrol officer and a city employee checked the house around 10:20 a.m., but found no vehicles in the driveway and no one answered the door; a neighbor had last seen her walking her dog around midnight.
Inside the home, officers later discovered her body in her bed along with three spent shotgun shell casings wrapped up with her body in a blanket. A pillow with burn marks was found nearby and police allege Bowen used it to muffle the shots.
What Bowen told relatives and police
Shortly after 1:30 p.m., police spotted Bowen’s pickup truck and saw him hand a bag apparently containing a rifle to a relative. The man later called 911, reporting that Bowen confessed he “did something” to his wife and that she was “not alive.” Bowen allegedly told the man he shot her three times with a shotgun the previous night because he “couldn’t take it anymore,” though police have not publicly specified a clear motive.
After the shooting, Bowen reportedly went downstairs and went to sleep. Officers used that information to obtain authorization to enter the home and conduct a safety sweep, leading to the discovery of Metayer Bowen’s body and the evidence linked to the fatal attack.
Who Nancy Metayer Bowen was
Metayer Bowen, in her mid‑40s, was elected to the Coral Springs City Commission in 2020 and reelected in 2024. She began her second one‑year term as vice mayor in November and was the first Black woman and Haitian‑American to serve on the commission. She also held the role of vice chair of the Florida Democratic Party.
Party leaders and city officials have described her as a brilliant scientist, environmental advocate, and trailblazer who deeply cared about her community and worked to build a more equitable future. Her death has prompted widespread mourning and calls to reflect on domestic violence risks even among high‑profile public figures.
