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William Stevenson, 77, the first husband of Jill Biden, has been charged with first-degree murder in the death of his wife, Linda Stevenson, after police say they were called to the couple’s home late on the night of Dec. 28, 2025, for a reported domestic dispute and found her unresponsive in the living room.
Authorities announced the charge Tuesday, Feb. 3, after a weeks-long investigation that culminated in a grand jury indictment returned by the New Castle County Superior Court, according to a news release from the New Castle County Division of Police.
What Police Say Happened the Night Linda Stevenson Died
In the initial police account released in late December, officers responded to a residence in the 1300 block of Idlewood Road in the Oak Hill community at about 11:16 p.m. on Dec. 28, 2025, after a reported domestic dispute.
Once inside, police said they found Linda Stevenson unresponsive in the living room and attempted life-saving measures, but she was later pronounced dead.
Police have not publicly released the cause of death, and the charging documents were not included in the police news release.
The Delaware medical examiner process typically includes an autopsy and forensic determination before an official manner and cause are finalized, but officials have not provided those findings in public statements tied to this case.
The Indictment, Arrest, and Bail
Investigators say the case moved forward on Monday, Feb. 2, 2026, when detectives from the department’s Criminal Investigations Unit, working “in coordination” with the Delaware Department of Justice, presented evidence to a grand jury. Police said an indictment was returned, charging William Stevenson with one felony count of first-degree murder.
After the indictment, detectives went to his home and took him into custody “without incident,” then transported him to police headquarters for processing, according to the department’s update.
Stevenson was arraigned at Justice of the Peace Court 2 and jailed at the Howard Young Correctional Institution after failing to post $500,000 cash bail, police said.
Jill Biden’s Connection and the Public Response So Far
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According to reporting by The Associated Press, William Stevenson and Jill Biden were married from 1970 to 1975. A spokesperson for Delaware’s attorney general confirmed to the AP that Stevenson is Jill Biden’s former husband.
The former first lady declined to comment through a spokesperson for the former president and first lady’s office, the AP reported.
The AP story also noted a visible sign near the home reading “Justice for Linda,” reflecting how quickly a neighborhood case can become a national story when it intersects with political biography.
What a First-Degree Murder Charge Can Mean in Delaware
Under Delaware law, first-degree murder includes intentionally causing the death of another person, among other pathways defined in statute.
Delaware eliminated the death penalty through legislation, and the state’s framework for adult offenders convicted of first-degree murder provides for life imprisonment without parole or other sentence reduction.
That sentencing reality matters because it shapes leverage and strategy on both sides early in a case: prosecutors weigh the strength of forensic evidence and witness testimony against a mandatory life outcome, while defense attorneys look hard at procedural issues, investigative timelines, and alternative explanations that can raise reasonable doubt.
A Case That Fits a Broader Pattern of Lethal Domestic Violence
Police have described the original call as a domestic dispute, and prosecutors have filed the case as a homicide. That alignment mirrors national patterns showing how often intimate relationships sit at the center of lethal violence against women.
In 2021, the Bureau of Justice Statistics reported that 34% of female murder victims were killed by an intimate partner, a rate far higher than for male victims.
Separately, CDC analysis of intimate partner homicide incidents involving adult female victims from 2018 to 2021 found that incidents most often occurred at the victim’s residence (68.0%) and involved a firearm (66.6%).
Those statistics do not describe what happened inside the Stevenson home, and investigators have not released the evidence supporting the charge. They do show why domestic dispute calls are treated as high-risk events by law enforcement and why advocates stress early intervention when violence escalates.
What Remains Unclear
Public records released so far leave major questions unanswered:
- The precise cause of Linda Stevenson’s death and the evidence prosecutors say supports first-degree murder
- Whether Stevenson has retained counsel, and what defense, if any, will be offered at this stage
- Whether there were prior police responses to the address tied to domestic incidents, and whether any protective orders existed (authorities have not released that information)
What is clear is procedural: a grand jury indictment has been returned, the defendant is jailed on $500,000 cash bail, and Delaware prosecutors have put the case on a first-degree murder track that, if it results in conviction for an adult offender, carries life imprisonment without parole under state law.
