Man once married to Jill Biden held without bail after being charged in wife’s killing

Biden ex's murder charge

This undated photo released by New Castle County Police, Del., on Tuesday, Feb. 3, 2026, shows William Stevenson. (New Castle County Police via AP)

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A Delaware man who was briefly married to former first lady Jill Biden decades ago remains in jail on first-degree murder charges as authorities investigate the death of his wife, who was found unresponsive in their home late last year.

William Stevenson, 77, of Wilmington was charged Monday in a grand jury indictment with killing his wife, Linda Stevenson, 64, on Dec. 28. He has remained in jail after failing to post $500,000 bail, authorities said. Investigators have not disclosed a motive.

Police say they were called to the couple’s home shortly after 11 p.m. for a reported domestic dispute and found a woman unresponsive in the living room, according to a previous news release. Life-saving measures were unsuccessful.

Stevenson was charged following a weeks-long investigation by detectives in the Delaware Department of Justice. It was not immediately clear whether he has an attorney.

Stevenson was married to Jill Biden from 1970 to 1975. Jill Biden married U.S. Sen. Joe Biden in 1977. He served as U.S. president from January 2021 to January 2025. A spokesperson for former U.S. President Joe Biden and first lady said Jill Biden declined to comment on Monday.

Linda Stevenson ran a bookkeeping business and was described in her obituary as a family-oriented mother and grandmother and a Philadelphia Eagles fan. The obituary does not mention her husband.

Stevenson founded the Stone Balloon, a popular music venue in Newark, Delaware, in the early 1970s.

In a 2024 interview with the conservative outlet Newsmax, Stevenson criticized Jill Biden and described their divorce as contentious, calling her “bitter” and “nasty.”