A newly released police report on the killing of Coral Springs Vice Mayor Nancy Metayer Bowen — allegedly by her husband, Stephen Bowen — provides troubling details about the incident.
The redacted complaint affidavit outlining probable cause in the ongoing case indicates Metayer Bowen was shot and killed inside the couple’s home, with multiple witnesses telling investigators Bowen admitted to the killing.
One individual told police Bowen said he had “shot his wife,” firing three times with a shotgun. According to that account, Bowen said he shot Metayer Bowen on Tuesday night inside the upstairs bedroom of their home, where the couple lived alone, after which he went downstairs and slept before leaving the residence the next day.
Investigators say physical evidence recovered at the scene appears consistent with those statements.
Officers found Metayer Bowen’s body in a bed in the second-floor master bedroom, where a preliminary examination revealed an apparent gunshot wound to her left shoulder. Three spent shotgun shells were recovered nearby, wrapped in blankets.
A pillow found on the bed had burn marks and stringing, which investigators noted appeared to show it had been “fashioned as a makeshift silencer” to muffle the sound of the gunfire.
Additional damage to the home further raised suspicions.
Detectives observed two defects on the exterior of the second floor with debris and displaced materials below. The damage was described as consistent with force originating within the structure and “explosive-like” in nature, later noted as being consistent with damage caused by projectiles.
The timeline outlined in the report shows how concerns first emerged.
Metayer Bowen, 38, failed to appear at multiple scheduled meetings for the city on the morning of Wednesday, April 1, prompting concern from city officials. One official received a text from Metayer Bowen’s phone at 8 a.m. with the subject line, “Discussion Items,” but did not receive any further communications.
The report does not go into whether the text had been scheduled prior to Metayer Bowen’s death or if Bowen sent the text himself that morning.
After unsuccessful attempts to reach her, one individual contacted Bowen by text. He responded that he could not reach her, then appeared to cease communications after saying her car wasn’t at home.
Notably, a meeting Metayer Bowen was scheduled to attend on Wednesday morning included Coral Springs Police Chief Brad Mock and Major Edmond DeRosa. The official who texted Bowen asked him to contact DeRosa, “who called you/texted you.”
Shortly thereafter, DeRosa requested a welfare check at the couple’s home. Officers arrived there, but initially could not make contact with anyone inside. They also observed no vehicles present.
A neighbor reported last seeing Metayer Bowen around midnight walking her dog.
After initiating a missing persons investigation, the Coral Springs Police Department mobilized its SWAT team, which performed a forced entry at the home, leading to the discovery of Metayer Bowen’s body. She showed no signs of life and was pronounced dead at the scene that afternoon.
The report also details Stephen Bowen’s movements after the killing.
Surveillance footage shows him arriving at the home at approximately 9:55 a.m. and leaving around 12:09 p.m. Law enforcement later located him driving a black Ford F-150 and began surveillance in a parking lot.
There, officers observed him handing another man a bag consistent with a firearm-carrying case commonly used for rifles or shotguns. The man took the bag into an apartment and later exited without it. Investigators later recovered a shotgun from that location.
Witness statements included in the report further implicate Bowen.
A relative told police that Bowen said he had “done something” to Metayer Bowen and indicated she was not alive. Another witness recounted Bowen admitting directly that he shot his wife. During one interaction described in the report, Bowen allegedly remarked, “Oh shit, they’re here for me,” as law enforcement closed in.
Based on the physical evidence, witness statements and surveillance, investigators concluded there was probable cause to arrest Bowen on charges of first-degree murder and tampering with or fabricating physical evidence.
The Broward County Sheriff’s Office arrested Bowen later Wednesday at an apartment complex in Plantation, with assistance from multiple law enforcement agencies, including the Fort Lauderdale and Plantation police departments.
He is being held without bond.
Metayer Bowen was widely regarded as a rising star in Florida Democratic politics and a trailblazing public servant. An environmental scientist by training, she was elected to the Coral Springs Commission in 2020, becoming the first Black and Haitian American woman to serve on the body.
She won re-election unopposed in 2024 and served on several boards, including the city’s Affordable Housing Advisory Committee, Charter School Advisory Board and the Broward County Climate Change Task Force.
She was also active in statewide Democratic politics, serving as Vice Chair of Haitian American voter engagement for the Florida Democratic Party and previously working on the presidential campaigns of former President Joe Biden and former Vice President Kamala Harris as Florida Caribbean Vote Director.
A graduate of the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, she built a career spanning government, environmental advocacy and community organizing.
Her death prompted an outpouring of grief from colleagues and leaders across Florida, who described her as a compassionate advocate and dedicated public servant.
A candlelight vigil will be held Friday evening at Coral Springs City Hall to celebrate her life and memory.
