Coral Springs, Florida Vice Mayor Nancy Metayer Bowen and her husband Stephen were embroiled in a legal dispute with their homeowners association just months before her tragic death, according to newly uncovered court documents.
The homeowners association filed a lawsuit against the couple in November 2025, alleging they had defaulted on association fees totaling $3,710.25 and seeking permission to foreclose on their home to collect the debt.
The case was voluntarily dismissed in January 2026, mere months before Stephen Bowen was arrested and charged with first-degree murder in connection with his wife's death.
According to law enforcement officials, Stephen Bowen's uncle contacted police after his nephew allegedly confessed to the crime. Officers responding to the call discovered Nancy Bowen's body inside the couple's Florida home.
Stephen Bowen now faces charges of first-degree murder and tampering with or fabricating physical evidence. The case has sent shockwaves through the Coral Springs community, where Nancy Bowen served as vice mayor and was known as a dedicated public servant.
The timing of the dismissed HOA lawsuit raises questions about potential stressors in the couple's lives leading up to the tragedy, though investigators have not publicly linked the legal dispute to the murder case.