Florida Vice Mayor found slain at home was sister of Parkland survivor who died by suicide

CORAL SPRINGS, Fla. — Coral Springs Vice Mayor Nancy Metayer Bowen was found dead in her home on April 1, only three months after the death of her younger brother, Donovan Joshua Leigh Metayer, a survivor of the 2018 Parkland school shooting. Police say her husband, Stephen Bowen, has been charged with premeditated murder, according to a statement.

A Welfare Check Leads to a Grim Discovery

City staff grew concerned when Metayer Bowen missed a scheduled meeting. Officers arrived for a welfare check and found her body in the master bedroom. Investigators say she had been shot multiple times, and they recovered spent shotgun shells near her body.

Police documents obtained by Local 10 News say Stephen Bowen told his mother the night before that he was having a panic attack and planned to speak with his wife. The next morning, he allegedly confessed to his uncle, saying he “did something to her” and that she “was not alive.” He also said he shot her three times and then slept downstairs.

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Authorities later located him in Plantation, FL using surveillance and license‑plate readers. They arrested him without incident. He now faces charges of premeditated murder and evidence tampering.

A Family Already in Mourning After Loss of Donovan Metayer

The killing came as the family continued to grieve the loss of Donovan, who we previously reported died by suicide in December 2025 at age 26. He survived the 2018 shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School, which killed 17 people. His family said he struggled with mental‑health challenges and later battled schizophrenia.

Following his death, Metayer Bowen made a Facebook sharing a GoFundMe link and her grief about her loss. In another Facebook post. she lovingly described Donovan as the sibling she “felt she had to protect the hardest.”

The family said they now face another devastating loss and asked for privacy. They described her as a leader whose warmth “filled every room” and said her legacy lives on in the lives she touched.

“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,” Metayer Bowen’s family said in a statement posted to her social media. “Her legacy will live on not only in the policies she helped shape, but in the countless lives she touched.”

Nancy Metayer Bowen Was A Rising Local Leader and Coral Springs Vice Mayor

Metayer Bowen, 38, was first elected to the Coral Springs City Commission in 2020. She became the first Black woman to serve on the commission and was re‑elected in 2024. She later served as Florida’s Caribbean Vote Director during the 2024 presidential election.

Before entering politics, she worked as an environmental scientist and served on the Broward County Soil and Water Conservation District. Colleagues described her as a dedicated public servant who approached her work with compassion and discipline.

Nancy Metayer Bowen’s Case Still Under Investigation

Police say the killing appears to be domestic in nature, though investigators have not identified a clear motive. Officers also noted signs of damage to the home’s exterior that were consistent with projectiles. A SWAT team forced entry before discovering her body wrapped in blankets and placed inside garbage bags.

Facebook/Broward County Sheriff’s Office

Authorities say Bowen attempted to dispose of the weapon by placing it in a bag and handing it to another person. He remains jailed without bond.

The Bowens were reportedly married in 2022.

Stephen Bowen is the chief operating officer of a non-profit and statewide Masonic organization based in Hollywood, Florida. He also has an active license as a certified radiologic technologist, according to the South Florida Sun Sentinel.

A Community in Shock

Coral Springs, Florida Government’s officials said in a Facebook post her death leaves a deep void. They described her as a “light in the community” and praised her commitment to public service. They urged residents to keep her family in their thoughts as they navigate another tragedy.

If you are experiencing domestic violence, you can reach out to the National Domestic Violence Hotline 1-800-799-7233, or go to thehotline.org. for confidential, toll‑free support. Trained advocates are available around the clock and can assist in more than 170 languages.