Jill Biden’s first husband charged with first-degree murder of 64-year-old wife

OAN Staff Brooke Mallory
1:34 PM – Tuesday, February 3, 2026

William “Bill” Stevenson, the 77-year-old ex-husband of former First Lady Jill Biden, was arrested on Monday and charged with first-degree murder in connection with the death of his wife, Linda Stevenson.

The arrest, announced by Delaware authorities on Tuesday, follows a weeks-long investigation into a domestic dispute that occurred late last year.

According to the New Castle County Police Department, officers responded to a report of a domestic dispute at the couple’s home on the 1300 block of Idlewood Road in the Oak Hill community shortly after 11:00 p.m. on December 28, 2025.

Upon arriving at the couple’s Oak Hill residence at approximately 11:16 p.m., New Castle County police discovered 64-year-old Linda Stevenson unresponsive in the living room.

The responding officers and emergency medical personnel immediately administered life-saving measures; however, their efforts were unsuccessful and she was pronounced deceased at the scene.

The Delaware Division of Forensic Science then took custody of her body to conduct an autopsy, initiating a rigorous, weeks-long investigation that ultimately led to her husband’s indictment on first-degree murder charges. While the initial police dispatch audio reportedly referred to a “cardiac arrest,” a subsequent grand jury indictment followed a forensic investigation by the Delaware Department of Justice (DOJ).

After enough evidence was gathered, Stevenson was then taken into custody on Monday afternoon. The 77-year-old was arraigned at Justice of the Peace Court 2 and he is currently being held at the Howard R. Young Correctional Institution in Wilmington — after failing to post $500,000 cash bail.

A spokesperson for the Delaware Attorney General’s office confirmed that Stevenson was indicted on one felony count of first-degree murder. It is not yet clear if he has retained legal counsel.

Stevenson’s wife of nearly 40 years, Linda was a well-known local bookkeeper who had recently launched her own firm, BMB Bookkeeping. While she was described in her obituary as a “tenacious, kind-hearted, and fiercely loyal” mother and grandmother with a deep passion for the Philadelphia Eagles, the tribute notably omitted any mention of her husband.

William first rose to national prominence as the founder of the Stone Balloon, a Newark, Delaware music venue that became a staple for rock icons ranging from The Allman Brothers Band to Metallica. During his time as a student at the University of Delaware, he was married to Jill Jacobs — now former First Lady Jill Biden — from 1970 until their contentious divorce was finalized in late 1975. While the Biden couple maintains they first met on a blind date in March 1975, Stevenson has spent decades publicly disputing that timeline.

Following his recent arrest, a spokesperson for the former first lady stated she would not be offering any comment on the matter.

In the decades following their split, Stevenson emerged as a persistent critic of his ex-wife and the Biden family. In his 2024 memoir, “The Biden Brothers & Jill: The Early Years,” Stevenson claimed the “official” story of the Bidens’ first “blind date” was a fabrication, alleging their affair actually began in 1974 while Jill was still married to him.

He cited a specific moment of suspicion when Jill refused to accompany him to meet Bruce Springsteen at his venue, reportedly discovering later that she had been spending time with the then-senator. Beyond the timeline of their romance, Stevenson frequently alleged he was “targeted” by the Biden family during their divorce, claiming he faced legal intimidation and politically motivated tax charges.

In more recent years, he transitioned into a vocal critic of Jill’s public role, labeling her the “power behind the throne” and arguing she was the primary force keeping a “struggling” Joe Biden in the political spotlight far longer than was appropriate.

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