William Stevenson Murder Case: What You Need to Know About Jill Biden's First Husband Accused of Killing His Wife

William "Bill" Stevenson, the first husband of former first lady Jill Biden, is being held at the Howard R. Young Correctional Institution, also known as the Gander Hill prison complex, in Wilmington, Delaware, after pleading not guilty to a first-degree murder charge in the death of his wife, Linda Stevenson, a case that has drawn national attention because of his long-ago connection to the Biden family.

Stevenson is not a recent figure in the Bidens' lives. He was married to Jill Jacobs, now Jill Biden, from 1970 to 1975, when she was a University of Delaware student and he was building his name as the owner of The Stone Balloon, a Newark rock club that became a major East Coast venue.

Jill Biden married Joe Biden in 1977. Stevenson later publicly claimed that Joe and Jill Biden's relationship began before his divorce was final, an allegation Jill Biden's camp denied in 2020 as "fictitious" and connected to Stevenson's effort to promote a book.

However, that marriage links them together, particularly now. The 77-year-old man was indicted by a New Castle County grand jury in Delaware after police investigated the Dec. 28 death of Linda Stevenson, 64, at the couple's home near Elsmere, according to New Castle County police. Officers had been called to the home for a reported domestic dispute and found Linda Stevenson unresponsive in the living room. Police said lifesaving measures were unsuccessful.

The indictment charged Stevenson with one felony count of first-degree murder. Police said he was taken into custody at his residence on Feb. 2 without incident and initially held at Howard R. Young Correctional Institution after failing to post $500,000 cash bail.

The case escalated days later when a court increased Stevenson's bail to $2 million cash after prosecutors argued he was a flight risk, WHYY reported. He pleaded not guilty at a Feb. 17 hearing and remains in custody.

Linda Stevenson was remembered as a business owner, mother and grandmother. AP described her as having run a bookkeeping business and said family tributes portrayed her as warm and supportive.