Coral Springs vice mayor allegedly shot by husband, body wrapped in garbage bags, affidavit reveals

A judge denied bond Thursday for a Coral Springs man accused of killing his wife, Vice Mayor Nancy Metayer Bowen, as newly released law enforcement documents detail a shooting inside the couple's home and apparent efforts to conceal evidence.

Stephen Bowen, 40, who is charged with premeditated murder and tampering with evidence, made a brief first appearance in Broward County bond court, where a judge found probable cause and ordered him held without bond.

What police say happened inside the Coral Springs home

According to a Coral Springs police probable cause affidavit, Bowen is accused of shooting his wife inside their home the night of Tuesday, March 31.

Investigators say the killing came to light after Metayer Bowen failed to show up for scheduled meetings on Wednesday, April 1, including a city commission meeting where she was expected in her role as vice mayor. Concerned colleagues and family members tried repeatedly to reach her before police conducted a welfare check at the home. 

When officers arrived, they found no response at the residence and noted signs of possible damage to the home's exterior that appeared "explosive-like" and consistent with projectiles, according to the affidavit.

A SWAT team later forced entry into the home, where officers discovered Metayer Bowen's body in an upstairs bedroom. Investigators said her body had been wrapped in blankets and placed inside garbage bags.

Authorities also recovered evidence at the scene indicating she had been shot, including spent shotgun shells found near her body. A preliminary examination revealed a gunshot wound to her shoulder, according to the report.

Affidavit details alleged confession, evidence disposal

The affidavit outlines statements from a witness who told detectives Stephen Bowen admitted to shooting his wife multiple times with a shotgun the night before and then sleeping downstairs. The witness said Bowen later attempted to have him hold a bag containing the weapon.

Investigators say surveillance and license plate reader data helped track Bowen's movements after the killing, including locating his pickup truck in Fort Lauderdale.

Police also said Stephen Bowen tried to dispose of evidence, including handing off a bag believed to contain a firearm to another person.

Stephen Bowen was taken into custody Wednesday afternoon. Authorities have not publicly identified a motive.

Community remembers Vice Mayor Nancy Metayer Bowen

Metayer Bowen's family and colleagues are remembering her as a trailblazer and dedicated public servant.

She was the first Black woman and first Haitian American elected to the Coral Springs City Commission and was known for her work on environmental justice issues.

"My heart is extremely heavy," Coral Springs City Commissioner Joshua Simmons said. "For those of us at City Hall who were touched by Vice Mayor Nancy Metayer Bowen, this is something that's going to take a lot of time to deal with."

In a statement, her sister said Metayer Bowen "led with integrity, compassion, and an unwavering sense of purpose" and was "a source of strength, wisdom, and love."

Officials said the city has created a webpage to provide updates as the investigation continues.

U.S. Rep. Jared Moskowitz said Metayer Bowen had been preparing to announce a run for Congress before her death.

"Nancy was such a force of nature, she was such a kind person," said Alfredo Olvera. "We are all just so lucky to have lived for such a brief time in Nancy's world."

Olvera said he has known Metayer Bowen for nearly a decade. He said Thursday was supposed to be a day of excitement: she was planning to announce her run for the 20th Congressional District.

Instead, it turned into a day of mourning.

"She was so excited about all the support she was getting from local leaders and elected officials, family and friends," Olvera said. "She was going to fight up in the United States Congress for the things that she believed in – for gun control, for the environment, for women's reproductive rights, for mental health issues, her family had been going through so much in the last few months."

Tamarac's Vice Mayor Marlon Bolton said her career was just getting started.

"She always wanted to excel, but not just excel. She wanted to make sure that any job that she had she wanted to help people," Bolton said. "So, she though Congress would havr done that for her."

The vice mayor's brother was a Parkland school shooting survivor and had recently died 

Metayer Bowen's brother was a survivor of the mass shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland and died by suicide in December.

Olvera said he hopes she is remembered by how she fought for her community, not by how she died.

"While this was a horrible act of domestic violence, this is a woman who gave it all for her community, everything that she did was intentional, every interaction that she had with any person was with the final goal to make their lives better and to make the community better," Olvera said.