CORAL SPRINGS, Fla. (Le Floridien) — The husband of Coral Springs Vice Mayor Nancy Métayer Bowen has been charged with premeditated murder following her death, authorities confirmed, as new details continue to emerge in the tragic case that has shocked the South Florida community.
Police say Métayer Bowen, a Haitian-American public official, was found dead inside her home after being shot multiple times. Investigators allege that her husband attempted to conceal the crime before being taken into custody.
Bowen, 40, was arrested Wednesday after officers responding to a well-being check discovered Metayer Bowen, 38, dead inside the couple’s home located on the 800 block of Northwest 127th Avenue in Coral Springs. Authorities have charged him with premeditated murder and tampering with or fabricating physical evidence.
Local 10 reported that cellphone video showed law enforcement at an apartment complex in Plantation, where sources said officers caught up with him and arrested him. PEOPLE also reported that he had fled to Plantation, where he was taken into custody.
During his first court appearance Thursday morning, a judge ordered that Bowen be held without bond at the Broward County Main Jail.
Coral Springs Police said there are no other suspects connected to the case. Police Chief Brad Mock also reassured residents that there is no ongoing threat to the public. As of now, the official cause of death has not yet been released.
A Shared Caribbean Background
Both Nancy Métayer Bowen and her husband shared Caribbean roots. Métayer Bowen was of Haitian descent, while her husband is of Jamaican origin. The couple also attended the same college, reflecting a shared background prior to the tragic events that unfolded.
Public social media posts had often shown the couple celebrating their marriage and Caribbean roots. The late Vice Mayor Bowen had also suggested on social media that her husband was of Jamaican heritage. One of the last publicly shared photos on her Instagram page showed the couple attending J’Ouvert in Lauderhill.
Metayer Bowen made history as Coral Springs’ first Black and Haitian American woman elected to the city commission. First elected in 2020 and re-elected in 2024, she was appointed to a second term as vice mayor last November. She was widely respected for her public service and professional work as an environmental scientist, and she had also served on the Broward County Soil and Water Conservation District.
Community in Shock
Métayer Bowen was widely respected in Coral Springs and across South Florida, particularly within the Haitian-American community. Her death has prompted an outpouring of grief from residents, local officials, and community leaders.
In a statement shared on social media Wednesday evening, her family remembered her as a devoted leader who served with “integrity, compassion, and an unwavering sense of purpose,” adding that she believed in unity, listening to her community, and working tirelessly to bring positive change.
Bowen, who had been listed as chief operating officer of the nonprofit Men of St. Luke Inc., reportedly has no major criminal history in Broward County, aside from two prior misdemeanor drug arrests that were not prosecuted.
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