Who is Jill Biden’s ex-husband, William Stevenson, who is charged with murdering his wife?

Linda Stevenson once spoke positively about her relationship with her husband, William Stevenson. However, on Monday (February 2), the 77-year-old was arrested in connection with her death. William Stevenson is former US First Lady Jill Biden's ex-husband.

The police in New Castle County, Delaware, said on Tuesday (February 3) that the suspect was arrested after a grand jury indictment charged him with first-degree murder in the death of Linda Stevenson, 64, on December 28. Following the verdict, he was taken into custody, CBS News reported. Officials probing the matter have not released the cause of her death.

Joe Biden's post-presidential office has declined to comment on Stevenson's arrest and the charges against him, CNN reported.

What happened on December 28?

New Castle County police said they responded to a report of a domestic dispute at the Stevensons' home near the town of Elsmere, in Delaware, on December 28 last year. After receiving the information, they headed to the site and found Linda Stevenson unresponsive in the living room. According to officials, they tried life-saving measures; however, they failed, and she was pronounced dead.

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Police noted that they were conducting an autopsy to determine the cause of her death. Authorities did not file any charges at the time the death was investigated.

After an extensive investigation into the death, William Stevenson was arrested. Earlier this week, he was indicted for first-degree murder. He was placed in a state prison in Wilmington, Delaware, as he was unable to post $500,000 in bail (around Rs 4.33 crore), police said, according to a report in The New York Times (NYT). It was not confirmed whether he had a lawyer to represent him in court, the report noted.

Who is William Stevenson?

Raised outside Philadelphia, William Stevenson once aspired to become a college football star. However, family challenges led him to reconsider going to Ohio State. He ultimately enrolled at the University of Delaware, according to an interview he gave to a local cable channel.

In 1971, he decided to use $14,000 (Rs 12.84 lakh) inheritance from his uncle to buy a bar in downtown Newark, Delaware, he later wrote in a newspaper piece.  The Stone Balloon Club near the University of Delaware in Newark became very popular. Musicians Bruce Springsteen, Dave Matthews, and The Allman Brothers Band played for crowds at the bar for decades.

However, several reports suggested that William Stevenson was constantly in dispute with city officials over construction permits. At the same time, local newspapers also reported that he struggled to pay his taxes. In the end, he sold the bar, and it eventually shut down in 2005.

International Business Times reported that police records did not indicate any criminal history of William Stevenson.

What do we know about Linda Stevenson?

Linda Stevenson was a mother and grandmother. She has been described as a kind-hearted and fiercely loyal person in an obituary.

In her obituary, the 64-year-old was described by loved ones as “deeply family-oriented” and a big Philadelphia Eagles fan. It also said she founded a small bookkeeping business in the final years of her life, reports NBC News.

CBS News reported that a neighbour placed a  "Justice for Linda" sign outside the Stevenson residence on Tuesday (February 3)

Patty Master, a neighbour, told the news outlet, "She (Linda) was as nice as can be, and he (William) was, too."

What we know about William Stevenson's marriage to Jill Biden

In 1969, Stevenson met the then-Jill Tracy Jacobs on a beach, and in February 1970, they got married. She was 18 years old and a student at the University of Delaware, and he was 23.

However, things did not go as planned, and five years later, the couple chose to separate. Shortly after the divorce, Jill began dating former US President Joe Biden, the then-young senator from Delaware and an acquaintance of William Stevenson, according to the former first lady's memoirs.

A civil divorce between Jill and William Stevenson was granted in May 1975. Stevenson also married Linda years later.

Jill Biden was married to Stevenson from 1970 to 1975. They wed when Jill was 18, and William Stevenson was 23. Image Courtesy: @DigitalDaisy/X

"I truly believed we were destined for each other. Looking back, it may seem like a mistake of youth," Jill Biden added, as quoted by the NYT.

William Stevenson also spoke publicly and bitterly about his marriage to Jill. In 2024, speaking to the conservative outlet Newsmax, he described his divorce from her as "contentious." He even called her "bitter and nasty," India Today reported.

With inputs from agencies