A grieving father from New South Wales is mourning the loss of his daughter, who followed her dreams to the United States and will never return home.
Meaghan Bowler, 32, originally from Terrigal on the Central Coast, was discovered unresponsive with multiple stab wounds in a bathtub at her Florida residence on April 9.
Her husband, 39-year-old Jesse Jones, allegedly called emergency services to report that he had stabbed his wife and believed she was deceased.
Bowler was rushed to Sarasota Memorial Hospital, where she was later pronounced dead.
Jones has been charged with first-degree murder and remains in custody pending a bond hearing scheduled for May 22.
The couple's two young children were found unharmed, according to Fox 13 News Tampa Bay.
Bowler's father, Tony, told 7NEWS.com.au that the couple met online, with Jones traveling to Australia in December 2022 before continuing their relationship long-distance.
In September 2023, Bowler traveled to the US for what was intended to be a three-month stay — but she never returned home.
“She was just a beautiful, ambitious, kind, and trusting girl,” Tony Bowler said.
Meaghan Bowler has been remembered as ‘beautiful, ambitious, kind, and trusting’.
Father’s heartfelt tribute
The 59-year-old father remembered Bowler as someone deeply connected to people, who found joy in helping others.
“She was a girl who generally lit up every room she was in,” he said.
He said she had a rare ability to make others feel seen and valued and was at her happiest when surrounded by people.
He said Bowler was a “real people person” who had worked in sales and real estate in Sydney’s Mosman before moving to the US.
She also worked in event management with the Sydney Swans, where she was highly regarded, and spent time assisting her mother, a tennis coach at Terrigal, during the COVID period.
Bowler was incredibly close to her family and maintained friendships across the world — something her father said reflected the person she was.
“I know I’m her dad and every dad thinks their kids are special, but she truly was a very special girl,” he said.
He described her as kind and generous, recalling how she sponsored children overseas and often went out of her way to help others — including the time she spent an entire morning helping a visually impaired elderly woman she had met on a bus.
Tony Bowler paid tribute to his daughter in a social media post.
After helping her across the road, she accompanied her through the supermarket, assisted with her shopping and paid for her groceries before ensuring she got home safely.
“That’s just the type of girl she was,” her father said.
“She was an angel.”
The family is hoping to bring Bowler home soon, while continuing to follow developments in the US court case.
Announcing the “worst news a parent can ever face” on social media, Tony Bowler thanked those who had reached out with support.
“She was deeply loved by all of us and brought so much to our lives,” he wrote.
“Losing her has left a hole in our family that can never be filled.
“Rest peacefully my beautiful girl. We love you always.”
