Jill Biden Ex-Husband Hit With Murder Charge

A quiet Delaware domestic-dispute call detonated into a first-degree murder indictment that now trails a name most Americans only recognize from a much older chapter of political history.

Quick Take

  • Delaware prosecutors indicted William “Bill” Stevenson, 77, on a first-degree murder charge in the death of his wife, Linda Stevenson, 64.
  • Police responded to a December 28, 2025, domestic dispute call at the couple’s home near Wilmington and found Linda unresponsive; she was pronounced dead at the scene.
  • Investigators worked the case for weeks before a grand jury indictment on February 2, 2026; Stevenson was arrested at home and jailed after failing to post $500,000 cash bail.
  • The case drew national attention because Stevenson briefly married Jill Biden in the early 1970s, but officials reported no connection to the Biden family.

The case hinges on what happened inside one living room on December 28

New Castle County police went to a home near Wilmington, Delaware, after a 911 call reporting a domestic dispute on December 28, 2025. Officers found Linda Stevenson unresponsive in the living room and tried lifesaving measures, but she was pronounced dead at the scene. Authorities sent her body for an autopsy, yet public reporting has not disclosed the cause of death. That missing detail is the story’s pressure point.

Law enforcement then shifted into the slow, methodical work that rarely makes headlines: interviews, timelines, forensics, and coordination with prosecutors. Weeks later, that work produced a grand jury indictment alleging William Stevenson “intentionally caused” his wife’s death. That phrasing matters because it signals prosecutors believe evidence supports intent, not merely negligence. The public still lacks the why and how, but the legal system has already made a consequential first decision.

A grand jury indictment, an arrest at home, and a jail cell without immediate release

On February 2, 2026, a Delaware grand jury indicted Stevenson for murder in the first degree. Police arrested him at his home without incident, arraigned him, and held him at the Howard R. Young Correctional Institution. Reports described $500,000 cash bail; Stevenson remained jailed after failing to post it. For readers who only see the headline, this is the crucial takeaway: the state moved from investigation to the most serious homicide charge available.

The absence of publicly released details creates a vacuum that invites speculation, and adults have seen this movie before. A conservative, common-sense lens treats speculation as a trap: the indictment establishes what prosecutors believe they can prove, not what the public can safely assume. Until autopsy findings, charging documents, and courtroom testimony become clearer, the responsible position is restraint. That’s not softness; it’s respect for due process and for the victim’s family.

The Jill Biden connection is real history, not evidence in this case

Stevenson’s name ricocheted through national coverage because he married Jill Jacobs in 1970 while she attended the University of Delaware; they divorced in 1975. In her memoir, Jill Biden described the marriage as a mistake of youth and portrayed Stevenson as charismatic but ultimately on a different path. She married Joe Biden in 1977. That’s the entire bridge between the Stevenson case and modern politics—old personal history, not a prosecutorial thread.

Media outlets lean into famous proximity because it boosts clicks, but readers should separate relevance from curiosity. Officials reported no connection between the Bidens and the investigation, and the accused is not a political figure. The deeper civic lesson is about how America processes tragedy: a well-known surname nearby can hijack attention, while the actual human loss—Linda Stevenson’s death—risks becoming a subplot. That imbalance should bother anyone who values dignity over spectacle.

What the public still does not know, and why that uncertainty matters

Key facts remain undisclosed in public reporting: the precise cause of death, the mechanism of injury, any history of prior calls to the home, and whether Stevenson has legal counsel speaking on his behalf. When those details are missing, the public cannot responsibly evaluate competing narratives. That uncertainty also explains why homicide cases can feel emotionally unresolved for months. The justice system must build a record that survives cross-examination, not social media.

Domestic disputes that end in death also trigger an uncomfortable question that cuts across party lines: how often did warning signs exist, and who saw them? The sources summarized Linda Stevenson as a small business owner with family ties and everyday interests—details that sound ordinary until they become an obituary. Conservative values emphasize personal responsibility and the protection of the vulnerable; those values demand attention to the victim’s reality, not just the accused’s notoriety.

What to watch next: court filings, forensic clarity, and the discipline of waiting

The next meaningful developments will come from court proceedings: formal charging documents, evidence summaries introduced by prosecutors, defense responses, and any clarified autopsy findings. Each step will narrow the story from “shocking headline” to provable facts. Readers who want to stay grounded should watch for specifics—dates, statements, forensic conclusions—instead of recycled biographical trivia. That’s how you honor both truth and the presumption of innocence while a case moves forward.

Stevenson’s past as a known figure in Delaware’s social scene and his decades-old marriage to Jill Biden may keep the spotlight bright, but spotlights can distort. The case remains, at its core, a Delaware homicide prosecution arising from a domestic call and culminating in a first-degree murder indictment. The country will eventually learn what evidence drove that decision. Until then, the smartest posture is sober attention—because the courtroom, not the rumor mill, is where this story becomes real.

Sources:

Jill Biden’s Ex-Husband Arrested on Murder Charge in Wife’s Death

Who Is Jill Biden’s Ex-Husband? About William Stevenson & His Murder Charges

Jill Biden’s ex-husband charged with murdering his wife