Ex-US First Lady Jill Biden’s Former Husband Charged With Murder Of His Wife

Last Updated:February 04, 2026, 04:39 IST

William Stevenson, 77, was arrested in Delaware over alleged killing of 64-year-old Linda Stevenson at their Wilmington home

William Stevenson, 77, poses for a booking photograph after he was charged with one felony count of murder in the first degree, at New Castle County Police headquarters in New Castle, Delaware, US. (IMAGE: REUTERS)

The former husband of ex-US First Lady Jill Biden has been arrested and charged with murdering his current wife in Delaware, according to the Daily Mail.

William Stevenson, 77, was taken into custody on Monday over the killing of 64-year-old Linda Stevenson at their home in Wilmington.

Police said officers responded to a call about a “domestic dispute" at the couple’s residence at 11:16 pm on December 28. Linda was found unresponsive on the floor and, despite life-saving efforts by first responders, was pronounced dead at the scene.

Authorities have not yet released the cause of death.

Linda Stevenson’s obituary described her death as unexpected and made no reference to her husband. The couple had one daughter together, Christina Vettori, who has a daughter named Ciara.

Stevenson has been charged with first-degree murder. After failing to post $500,000 cash bail, he was sent to the Howard Young Correctional Institution, according to court records accessed by the Daily Mail.

Stevenson was married to Jill Jacobs from 1970 to 1975, years before she became the wife of future US President Joe Biden. Jill and Joe Biden married in 1977 and have since become one of the most prominent political couples in the United States.

Over the years, Stevenson has publicly claimed that his marriage to Jill ended because of an alleged affair with Joe Biden – accusations that representatives of Jill Biden have consistently rejected.

In an interview with the newspaper during Joe Biden’s 2020 presidential campaign, Stevenson alleged that Jill became close to Biden while both were working on his New Castle County Council campaign in the mid-1970s.

“One of her best friends told me she thought Joe and Jill were getting a little too close," Stevenson was quoted as saying by the outlet. “I was surprised that she came to me."

He claimed he later asked Jill to leave the house after his suspicions grew. “Her father was begging me to take her back… but I wasn’t interested," he said.

Jill Biden’s office dismissed those allegations at the time. A spokesperson told Inside Edition in 2020 that Stevenson’s claims were “fictitious" and were being made to help promote a book he was planning to release.

“The relationship of Joe and Jill Biden is well documented," the spokesperson said.

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