Florida Democratic Party vice chair found dead in home
Nancy Metayer Bowen, serving as the Vice Mayor of Coral Springs and Vice Chair of the Florida Democratic Party, was discovered deceased in her residence. Authorities are treating this as a domestic violence case, with her husband, Steven Bowen, currently detained.
Steven Bowen faces charges of premeditated murder and evidence tampering following the discovery of his wife’s body, as indicated by jail records.
Law enforcement officials confirmed that Nancy Metayer Bowen, a prominent figure in the Florida Democratic Party, was found around 10 a.m. during a welfare check.
Details about her death remain scarce, including the exact cause.
On Thursday morning, Steven Bowen appeared in a bond court hearing. The judge ruled that he be held without the possibility of bail.
Steven Bowen stands accused of premeditated murder after the passing of his wife, Nancy Metayer Bowen, was reported on Wednesday. (Coral Springs Police Department)
“I have reviewed the probable cause affidavit. The court does find probable cause for the charges,” the judge said.
Bowen was first elected to the Coral Springs City Commission in 2020 and was re-elected in 2024. She was appointed by the commission last November to serve a second, one-year term as vice mayor, according to her bio on the city’s website.
Before being elected to the commission, Bowen worked as an environmental scientist who formerly served on the Broward County Soil and Water Conservation District, the South Florida Sun Sentinel reported.
Coral Springs Vice Mayor Nancy Metayer Bowen was found dead during a welfare check. Her husband is accused of murder and evidence tampering. (Nancy Bowen/Facebook)
Bowen’s family confirmed her death on her social media accounts.
“Throughout her years in public office, she led with integrity, compassion, and an unwavering sense of purpose,” the family’s statement said.
“She believed in bringing people together, listening to those she served, and working tirelessly to create positive change in her community. To us, she was a source of strength, wisdom, and love — someone who always put others before herself.
“While many knew her as a leader and advocate, we knew her as a sister, a daughter, and a friend whose warmth and laughter filled every room. Her legacy will live on not only in the policies she helped shape, but in the countless lives she touched.”
Coral Springs Vice Mayor Nancy Metayer Bowen, center, was found dead in her home Wednesday, authorities said. (D.A. Varela/Miami Herald/Tribune News Service via Getty Images)
The Coral Springs government Facebook page paid tribute to Bowen, calling her “leadership 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.”
Coral Springs Vice Mayor Nancy Metayer Bowen seated at a recent City Commission meeting. (Coral Springs Goverment / Facebook)
U.S. Rep. Maxwell Alejandro Frost, D-Fla., said he was saddened to hear of Bowen’s death, remembering her as a “tireless advocate, a dedicated progressive leader, and a powerful voice for her community.”
Rep. Jared Moskowitz posted on X: “I’m in shock. I was just with her on Saturday. She just buried her brother. She was about to announce she was running for Congress.”
“Nancy was one of the nicest people I worked with,” he said. “Always fighting for her community, always pushing to help. She had such a future. This is terrible.”
Nancy Metayer Bowen (left), director of the Florida Caribbean Vote, and Sandy Dorsainvil, director of the Route 1804 Foundation, get ready before the departure of a caravan led by Haitian organizers to show support for the Harris campaign that began at the Little Haiti Cultural Center in Miami and traveled to the North Miami Library, on Saturday, August 10, 2024. (Getty Images)
Florida Democratic Party Chair Nikki Fried said she spoke with Bowen a few days ago.
“I held her in a hug at our party’s leadership summit, never imagining it would be one of our last moments together,” 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.”
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