Coral Springs Police said they are investigating the death of the city’s vice mayor, Nancy Metayer Bowen, who was found dead in her home on Wednesday morning in a "domestic violence incident."
Metayer Bowen’s husband, Stephen Bowen, was taken into custody, Coral Springs Police Chief Brad Mock told reporters at a news conference late Wednesday.
Mock said Metayer Bowen was found dead at her home in the 800 block of Northwest 127th Avenue at about 10 a.m. Wednesday after police were notified to do a check on her well being.
No other information was disclosed about the circumstances leading to Metayer Bowen' death.
"This is an active investigation, therefore, [we are] unable to provide any further details at this time and cannot answer any questions," Mock said.
Mock added that the Broward Sheriff's Office, Fort Lauderdale police and Plantation police assisted in the initial investigation.
Metayer-Bowen was first elected as a commissioner in 2020 and re-elected in 2024. Her bio on the city's website lists her as the city’s first Black and Haitian American woman to serve on the Coral Springs city commission.
The vice mayor’s colleague, Commissioner Joshua Simmons, remembered her at the press conference Wednesday afternoon saying, " that was our battle buddy. She had such a good heart. She truly cared about people."
"Our commission is incomplete. And we know that time is gonna move and time is gonna do its thing. But for us that are in this city and in the city hall that have been touched or impacted by Vice Mayor Nancy Metayer Bowen — that is a loss that is gonna take a lot of time to deal with," said Simmons.
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Statewide lawmakers and others shared their shock and grief over Metayer Bowen's passing.
In remembering Metayer Bowen, State Rep. Dan Daley, D-Coral Springs, said “Nancy was someone who truly cared about people and about this community.”
“Her commitment to public service and her belief in the future of our community were clear in everything she did,” Daley said in a statement. “Anyone who spent even a few minutes with Nancy remembers her smile and enthusiasm for public service,” he said. “She lit up a room and made you feel like you mattered. That is a rare quality, and it is something our community was better for.”
“This is a tremendous loss for Coral Springs,” Daley added. “My thoughts and prayers are with her family, her loved ones, and everyone who had the privilege of knowing her."
State Sen. Shevrin Jones, D-Miami Gardens, said he was “deeply heartbroken” to hear news of Metayer Brown’s death.
“The Coral Springs community — and all of Broward County — has lost a true champion,” Jones said. “Nancy was not only a trailblazer, but an incredible friend who showed up for people each and everyday. The world is darker this evening without her light in it.”
House Democratic Leader Fentrice Driskell, D-Tampa, said “to lose such a kindhearted, humble servant leader in such a violent and unconscionable way is a shock that reverberates throughout our entire state.”
“She didn't just hold an office; she held a deep-seated love for her neighbors and a tireless commitment to making Florida a better, safer place for everyone,” Driskell said in a statement.
Florida Democratic Party Chair, Nikki Fried said she had spoken to Metayer Bowen only days ago and hugged her “at our Party's Leadership Summit, never imagining it would be one of our last moments together. “
“Nancy was not simply our Vice Chair of Haitian Outreach. She was a scientist. An environmentalist. A brilliant barrier-breaker who made history as the first Black and Haitian-American woman elected to the Coral Springs City Commission,” Fried said in a statement. “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.”
