Ms. Magazine, April 2026
Even though I did not know Nancy Metayer, my heart is utterly broken by the loss of her life and the violence of her death. Metayer was a Haitian American elected official, environmental scientist and advocate who was found dead in her home on the first day of April. Police say she died at the hands of Stephen Bowen, the man she had been married to for only a few years. He is now in custody; the case is being investigated as a domestic murder. Described as a bright light in her community, the vice mayor of Coral Springs, Fla., was elected in 2020, then re-elected in 2024. She was the first Black and first Haitian American woman elected to the Coral Springs Commission in the city’s entire history. On the day she was killed, Metayer was just about to announce a congressional run.
Still in her 30s, Metayer, a child of immigrants and first generation Haitian American, was an unrelenting advocate for justice. Throughout her short career, she was a champion for environmental justice and public health initiatives across Florida, and served on local and state boards focused on sustainability, housing and civic engagement. She was an undeniable force with a promising political future ahead of her that was cut short in the most brutal of ways. Nancy Metayer’s spirit resonated with me, as I watched her from afar, blazing a trail in local politics. That she did so in 21st century Florida no less filled me with admiration.
