The ex-husband of former U.S. first lady Jill Biden has been arrested and charged with killing his current wife at their Delaware home in late December, police in New Castle County, Del., said on Tuesday.
Following an extensive investigation, Biden’s ex-husband, William Stevenson, 77, was arrested in connection with the death of Linda Stevenson, 64, authorities announced in a news release.
“Detectives from the Division’s Criminal Investigations Unit, in coordination with the Delaware Department of Justice, presented the case to a grand jury,” the release reads.
“As a result, an indictment was returned by the New Castle County Superior Court charging 77-year-old William Stevenson with Murder in the First Degree.”
Stevenson, who was married to Biden from 1970 to 1975, was transported to New Castle County police headquarters after his arrest, where he was charged with one felony count of murder in the first degree.
He was arraigned at Justice of the Peace Court 2 and committed to the Howard Young Correctional Institution, where he remains after failing to post US$500,000 bail.
Police were called to the Stevenson home for a reported domestic dispute on Dec. 28 after 11 p.m. and found Linda Stevenson unresponsive in the living room, according to a prior news release.
Get breaking National news
For news impacting Canada and around the world, sign up for breaking news alerts delivered directly to you when they happen.
“Officers immediately administered life-saving measures; however, despite their efforts, Linda Stevenson was later pronounced deceased,” the release adds.
Her body was turned over to the Delaware Division of Forensic Science, where an autopsy will be conducted to determine the cause and manner of her death, according to the release.
Linda Stevenson ran a bookkeeping business and was described as a family-oriented mother and grandmother and a Philadelphia Eagles fan, according to her obituary, which does not mention her husband.
It was not immediately clear if Stevenson has a lawyer. He founded a popular music venue in Newark called the Stone Balloon in the early 1970s, where Bruce Springsteen, Dave Matthews and The Allman Brothers Band played.
Jill Biden married U.S. senator Joe Biden in 1977, who would go on to serve as president from January 2021 to January 2025.
Biden has not publicly commented on Stevenson’s arrest as of this writing.
— With files from The Associated Press
© 2026 Global News, a division of Corus Entertainment Inc.
