Dr. Jill Biden’s ex-husband, Bill Stevenson, pleaded not guilty on Tuesday, Feb. 17, during a virtual arraignment on a first-degree murder charge tied to the death of his wife, Linda Stevenson.
Stevenson, 77, appeared by Zoom in New Castle County Superior Court in Delaware before Commissioner Lynne Parker. Prosecutors allege he “intentionally” caused Linda’s death in December, according to a grand jury indictment.
His attorney entered a not-guilty plea, waived the reading of the charges, and requested a speedy jury trial, noting that bail had already been set.
Parker ordered Stevenson’s bail conditions to remain in place and did not schedule additional court dates at the hearing. Authorities said he is being held in lieu of $500,000 bail.
“This has been specially assigned to Judge Adams, and so she’ll be setting the dates moving forward,” Parker told Stevenson, adding that he would be notified of his next court appearance in due course.
“Thank you, your Honor,” Stevenson replied.
Linda Stevenson was 64 when she was found unresponsive by authorities at about 11:16 p.m. local time on Dec. 28, 2025, according to police. Officers responded to a reported domestic dispute at a home on the 1300 block of Idlewood Road in the Oak Hill community. Police said officers attempted life-saving measures, but Linda was later pronounced dead.
An obituary said she “passed away unexpectedly” and listed surviving family members, including her daughter, granddaughter, sister, nephew, and extended relatives. The obituary did not mention a spouse, which prompted questions from members of the public at the time it circulated.
In mid-January, a woman posted on Facebook asking Stevenson why he was not listed as Linda’s husband in the obituary. That post is no longer visible, and it is unclear when or by whom it was removed.
Stevenson was later indicted on a first-degree murder charge in connection with Linda’s death and taken into custody without incident on Feb. 2.
Stevenson and Jill Biden met in college at the University of Delaware and married in 1970, when she was 18. They divorced five years later. She later married then-Sen. Joe Biden, who became the 46th president of the United States in 2021.
In past interviews about his earlier divorce, Stevenson spoke publicly about his relationship with Linda, describing her as “the greatest thing in my life.” In a 2020 interview, he said he was “not bitter” about the end of his first marriage, adding that the divorce ultimately led him to Linda.
