Tuesday February 3, the first husband of Jill Biden, former First Lady of the United States, was placed in pre-trial detention after being charged with the death of his wife, Linda Stevenson, which occurred on December 28, 2025.
The trail of a marital dispute becomes clearer. On Tuesday, February 3, the Delaware-state” title=”… | Flag, Facts, History, Maps, & Points of Interest | Britannica”>Delaware State Police, in the United States, announced the indictment of William “Bill” Stevenson for the murder of his wife, Linda Stevenson, which occurred on December 28. A decision taken after an “in-depth investigation which lasted several weeks” and which caused a lot more to leak across the Atlantic. And for good reason, Bill Stevenson was the first husband of Jill Biden, the former First Lady.
On Sunday, December 28, 2025, at 11:16 p.m., New Castle, Delaware police officers were called to a home following “a report of a domestic dispute.” When they arrived, they found Linda Stevenson, 64, unresponsive in her living room and in a press releasethe officers explain that, despite the efforts of the emergency services – called in parallel by Bill Stevenson, the victim succumbed to his injuries.
Placed in pre-trial detention
According to the indictment, obtained by ABC NewsBill Stevenson allegedly “intentionally caused the death” of his wife. But no additional details, particularly concerning the cause of death, have been communicated. The 77 year old man was incarcerated at the Howard Young Correctional Facility in Wilmington and indicated that he was unable to pay his $500,000 bail to avoid pretrial detention.
William “Bill” Stevenson and his wife, Linda Stevenson, lived in this Wilmington, Delaware home, photographed on February 3, 2025.
© Mingson Lau/AP/SIPA
Linda Stevenson ran an accounting business and was “deeply committed to her family,” according to her obituary, which did not mention her husband.
Five years of marriage
Jill Biden and Bill Stevenson were married in 1970. She was only 21 years old at the time. They separated four years later and divorced in 1975 without having any children. The same year, Jill met Joe Biden on a blind date and the two lovers married in 1977.
A few years ago, Bill Stevenson publicly claimed that in reality, his wife had cheated on him with the future president, whom she met in 1972. But the disappointed husband never provided any proof of this. Jill Biden has always refused to talk about this marriage.
The fact remains that in 2020, in an interview with the “Daily Mail”, Bill Stevenson declared that his divorce from Ashley Biden’s mother had had a positive effect explaining: “Without my divorce, I would never have met my wife Linda, and she is the most beautiful thing that has happened to me”.
The 77-year-old man was incarcerated at the Howard Young Correctional Facility in Wilmington.
© New Castle County Police/Handout via REUTERS