The ex-husband of former First Lady Jill Biden has been arrested in Delaware for allegedly murdering his wife, authorities said on Feb. 3.

William Stevenson, 77, was taken into custody on Monday after officials spent weeks investigating the death of his wife, Linda, 64, the New Castle County Police Department said in a statement.

Officials presented evidence to a grand jury, which returned an indictment charging Stevenson with first-degree murder.

Stevenson was arrested without incident at his home, which is off Idlewood Road in the Oak Hill neighborhood of Wilmington, the police department said.

Stevenson was arraigned and is being held after failing to post bail.

It was not immediately clear if Stevenson, who could not be reached, had retained an attorney.

Jill Biden, who was married to Stevenson in the 1970s, has not commented on the development.

First-degree murder carries a penalty of life in prison in Delaware.

Linda Stevenson was “deeply family-oriented and treasured time spent making memories, especially on family vacations with her daughter and granddaughter,” her obituary, which does not mention William Stevenson, said.

Linda Stevenson’s cause of death has not been released.

William Stevenson in a booking photo. (New Castle County Police Department)

The New Castle County Police Department said in a statement in late 2025 that officers responded to the Oak Hill home after a reported domestic dispute and found Linda Stevenson unresponsive in the living room. She was soon pronounced dead.

Jill Biden, at the time Jill Tracy Jacobs, married William Stevenson in 1970. William Stevenson was 23 at the time; Biden was a university student and a teenager.

The couple divorced after five years of marriage.

Jill Biden attempted to obtain half-ownership of a bar that William Stevenson had started in Newark called The Balloon, but was not successful, according to local newspapers. The Balloon closed in 2006.

Jill Biden met Joe Biden, a senator and widower, in 1975. They were married in 1977 and have had one child, Ashley Biden, together.

Joe Biden was vice president and Jill Biden was second lady from 2009 through 2017. Joe Biden became president and Jill Biden became first lady in January 2021. The Biden presidency ended in January 2025 after he dropped his reelection bid. Joe Biden’s vice president, Kamala Harris, lost to President Donald Trump in the 2024 election.