What to Know About Jill Biden’s Ex-Husband, Bill Stevenson, Who Was Just Charged with Murder

Caroline BlairTue, February 3, 2026 at 10:18 PM UTC

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Jill Biden attends the Team USA Brunch on July 27, 2024 in Paris, France ; William Stevenson.

Kristy Sparow/Getty ; New Castle County Police

Dr. Jill Biden's ex-husband, Bill Stevenson, was indicted on a first-degree murder charge in connection with his wife Linda Stevenson's death

Jill and Bill were married for five years from 1970 to 1975

Linda was found dead in her and Bill's Delaware home in December 2025

Before Dr. Jill Biden was the first lady married to President Joe Biden, she was briefly married to Bill Stevenson.

The former educator and the entrepreneur met in college at the University of Delaware and got married in 1970, when Jill was 18 years old. However they got divorced five years later.

About a decade after their divorce, Bill wed Linda Stevenson. The two were married for over 30 years before Linda was found unresponsive in their Delaware home and pronounced dead in December 2025.

One month later, he was indicted on a first-degree murder charge and taken into custody without incident, the New Castle County Police Department said in a press release.

Here's everything to know about Bill Stevenson, Dr. Jill Biden's ex-husband who has been charged with killing his wife, Linda Stevenson.

Bill is a businessman who founded Delaware music venue the Stone Balloon

Bill Stevenson on Greg Kelly Reports.

Newsmax

After briefly attending the University of Delaware, Bill founded the Stone Balloon bar and concert hall in 1972, per the bar's website. The venue which is located adjacent to the University of Delaware campus, has hosted a slew of A-list performers since its opening — including Bruce Springsteen, The Dave Matthews Band, Metallica and the Allman Brothers.

The bar initially closed down in 2005, but it was later transformed into the restaurant and concert venue, Stone Balloon Tavern. However, the restaurant closed in 2024 and has remained vacant, according to Delaware Online.

He was married to Jill from 1970 to 1975

William Stevenson ; Jill Biden at a Chicago fundraiser on May 11, 1987.

Newsmax ; Mark Reinstein/Corbis via Getty

The same year that Jill began studying at the University of Delaware in 1969, she met Bill, as she shared in her 2019 memoir, Where the Light Enters: Building a Family, Discovering Myself. They got married one year later, in 1970.

"Looking back, it may seem like that relationship was a mistake of youth," she wrote. "But there was a time when I truly believed we were destined for each other. He was charismatic and entrepreneurial and eventually started his own business."

Jill added, "And most importantly, I thought I had found a love like my parents’, a partnership built on loyalty and devotion. For a moment, we were happy. I had found my Prince Charming, and I was sure it would last forever."

However, by 1974, their marriage "fell apart," and they separated that year. She explained that the divorce "devastated" her at the time, and she felt "lost" and "horrified" by the decision.

"We were young, and it didn’t take long before we grew in different directions," Jill wrote. "It was at this point that I learned how essential it is to be financially independent, especially as a woman."

Even though she "tried to make the relationship work," she had to face the "reality of what this relationship was."

"Before long, I began to see that the breaks were beyond repair," Jill continued. "I wouldn’t settle for a counterfeit love. Like a broken spell, the truth of the reality struck me suddenly: I was going to get divorced."

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She continued writing, "It meant failure, and in my still-young life, I had never failed at anything serious. I had let down my parents—especially my dad. I had let down myself. I felt ugly and inadequate; I was embarrassed and ashamed."

In the midst of their divorce filings, Jill attempted to gain a half ownership stake in the Stone Balloon, but her petition was denied, according to the UD Review. Their divorce was finalized in 1975.

Bill and Linda wed around 1986

Linda Stevenson

Legacy.com

Bill and Linda married around a decade after his 1975 divorce from Jill.

In a September 2020 interview with Inside Edition, Bill said that he and Linda had been married for 34 years, meaning they got married around 1986. At the time, Jill had also moved on and married Joe Biden in 1977.

"I'm not bitter because, if it wasn't for my divorce, I would never have met my wife Linda and she's the greatest thing in my life," he told the Daily Mail in August 2020.

Linda was found dead after police responded to a “domestic dispute” in December 2025

On Dec. 28, 2025, Linda was found dead in the living room of her and Bill's home in Wilmington, Del., according to a press release issued by the New Castle County Police Department.

She was discovered by authorities at approximately 11:16 p.m. ET, per the release. Her obituary later reported that she died on Dec. 29. She was 64 years old. Police shared that they responded to the residence after getting a report of a "domestic dispute."

"Officers immediately administered life-saving measures; however, despite their efforts, Linda Stevenson was later pronounced deceased," the statement continued.

The Division’s Criminal Investigations Unit and the Delaware Division of Forensic Science subsequently began investigating the death and didn't release a cause or any suspects at the time.

Linda's family later published an obituary where they wrote that she "passed away unexpectedly," while also not mentioning Bill. The obituary listed her daughter Christina and granddaughter Ciara.

"Linda was deeply family-oriented and treasured time spent making memories, especially on family vacations with her daughter and granddaughter," the obituary read. "Within the last five years, she proudly founded BMB Bookkeeping, a business she built with determination, integrity, and heart. She loved her work and truly cared for her clients, many of whom became friends."

Her loved ones remembered her as "tenacious, kind-hearted, and fiercely loyal" whose "absence will be felt deeply by all who knew her."

In February 2026, Bill was charged with Linda’s murder

William Stevenson.

New Castle County Police

On Feb. 2, Bill was arrested and charged with the murder of Linda after an "extensive weeks-long investigation," the New Castle County Police Department said in a press release. Bill was indicted on a first-degree murder charge and taken into custody without incident from his home.

He was arraigned and is currently being held at the Howard Young Correctional Institution in lieu of $500,000 bail.

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