Fla. Pol Haunted by Parkland Found Dead, Husband Charged

A rising political figure in South Florida is dead, and her husband is now charged with killing her. Police in Coral Springs say they found Vice Mayor Nancy Metayer Bowen, 38, unresponsive during a welfare check at her home on Wednesday, reports USA Today. Her husband, 40-year-old Stephen Bowen, was later arrested on counts of premeditated murder and evidence tampering. Authorities haven't released how she died, but they said there's no ongoing threat to the public. Police say they're investigating her death as a "domestic violence incident," per ABC News.

The couple had been married since 2022, according to records seen by the South Florida Sun Sentinel. Metayer Bowen, the first Black and Haitian American woman on the Coral Springs city commission, was just days away from announcing a congressional bid, per Rep. Jared Moskowitz. A Florida A&M and Johns Hopkins grad, Metayer Bowen worked as an environmental scientist and previously served with Broward County's Soil and Water Conservation District. Her family said she led with "integrity" and a focus on bringing people together. Her death follows another family tragedy: Her younger brother, a survivor of the 2018 Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School shooting, died by suicide in December. The city described her as a "light in our community" whose impact was "immeasurable."