A Florida vice mayor seen as a rising political star was found dead at her home Wednesday and her husband was arrested on suspicion of premeditated murder, authorities said.

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Coral Springs Vice Mayor Nancy Metayer Bowen’s body was found by police who were conducting a wellness check, according to a statement from the city. The Coral Springs Police Department, located in Broward County, has initiated an investigation.

Metayer Bowen’s husband, Stephen Bowen, was arrested following a preliminary investigation, the city said, adding that “it was determined the incident was domestic in nature” and there were no additional suspects at this time.

The Broward Sheriff’s Office website listed Bowen, 40, as in custody and booked under the charges of premeditated murder and tampering or fabricating physical evidence.

Before becoming vice mayor, Metayer Bowen was the first Black and Haitian American female commissioner of Coral Springs. She was first elected in 2020 and then re-elected in 2024, according to the city website. In 2025, she was appointed to serve a second term as the vice mayor for the city of Coral Springs by her fellow commissioners, according to the city website.

Metayer Bowen was also an environmental scientist and, before her role on the Coral Springs City Commission, she “led environmental justice efforts across the state of Florida, focusing on enhancing community resilience,” according to the city website.

The city said that during her time as a member of the Broward County Soil and Water Conservation District, her work had been “instrumental in addressing water crises and responding to major natural disasters, including Hurricanes Irma, Michael, and Dorian.”

Metayer Bowen’s family released a statement saying she was “a cherished member of our family, but also a dedicated public servant who committed her life to improving the lives of others.”

“Throughout her years in public office, she led with integrity, compassion, and an unwavering sense of purpose. She believed in bringing people together, listening to those she served, and working tirelessly to create positive change in her community,” the Metayer family wrote. “To us, she was a source of strength, wisdom, and love—someone who always put others before herself.”

“Her legacy will live on not only in the policies she helped shape, but in the countless lives she touched,” the family said.

Lawmakers around the state expressed condolences and shock at the death of the “beloved” vice mayor, while praising her leadership.

Florida Democratic Party Chair Nikki Fried said in a Wednesday statement that “it is with a broken heart and profound grief that the Florida Democratic Party mourns the sudden and horrific death of our beloved Vice Chair, Nancy Metayer Bowen.”

“Just days ago, I spoke with Nancy. Just two weeks ago, I held her in a hug at our Party’s Leadership Summit, never imagining it would be one of our last moments together,” she said in the statement.

“Nancy was not simply our Vice Chair of Haitian Outreach. She was a scientist. An environmentalist. A brilliant barrier-breaker who made history as the first Black and Haitian-American woman elected to the Coral Springs City Commission,” Fried said. “A Vice Mayor who showed up every single day for the people she served. She loved her community deeply and believed, with every fiber of her being, that a better and more equitable future was possible for all of us.”

Rep. Jared Moskowitz, D-Fla., said on social media that he was “in shock” after learning about Metayer Bowen’s death.

“I was just with her on Saturday. She just buried her brother. She was about to announce she was running for Congress,” he wrote. “Nancy was one of the nicest people I worked with. Always fighting for her community, always pushing to help. She had such a future. This is terrible.”

Broward County Mayor Mark Bogen said in a statement that Metayer Bowen “served her community with dedication and heart, and the impact of her dedicated public service will be felt across Broward County.”

“Our thoughts are with her family, colleagues, and the Coral Springs community during this difficult time,” he said.