Linda Stevenson, 64, was found dead in her Wilmington, Delaware home on December 28, 2025, after police responded to a domestic dispute call, authorities said.
Officers from the New Castle County Police Department arrived at the residence in the Oak Hill neighborhood in the 1300 block of Idlewood Road at 11:16 p.m. on December 28, 2025. Police found Linda Stevenson unresponsive in the living room.
Officers immediately administered life-saving measures, but Stevenson was pronounced dead at the scene. Her body has been turned over to the Delaware Division of Forensic Science, where an autopsy is scheduled to determine the cause of death.
The case has drawn national attention because Linda Stevenson was married to Bill Stevenson, 77, the ex-husband of former First Lady Jill Biden. Bill Stevenson reportedly called authorities and is cooperating with police. No charges have been filed, and the investigation is ongoing.
Detectives from the Criminal Investigations Unit responded to the scene and have assumed the investigation. A 911 dispatch recording from the scene mentioned cardiac arrest, though police have not confirmed any additional details about the circumstances of Stevenson’s death.
Christina Vettori, Linda Stevenson’s daughter, told reporters the case is “still a murder investigation.” However, police are treating it as a death investigation.
The discrepancy between how family members and authorities are characterizing the investigation highlights the ongoing nature of the inquiry. Death investigations are standard procedure when someone dies unexpectedly or under unclear circumstances, allowing investigators to gather evidence and await forensic results before determining whether criminal charges are warranted.
Bill and Linda Stevenson had been married for about 40 years. Bill Stevenson gained prominence decades ago as the founder of The Stone Balloon, a popular bar and concert venue in Newark, Delaware.
The connection to the Biden family stems from Bill Stevenson’s first marriage. Jill Biden married Bill Stevenson in 1970. The couple separated in 1974 and divorced in 1975.
Jill Biden married Joe Biden in 1977. That marriage has continued through Joe Biden’s long career in the Senate, his years as vice president, and his term as president of the United States.
Over the years, Bill Stevenson has occasionally made public statements about his former marriage to Jill Biden, including claims about the circumstances surrounding their divorce. These assertions have been consistently denied by representatives for the Bidens.
As the investigation continues, detectives will likely review any available evidence from the scene, interview witnesses and neighbors, and await the results of the forensic examination. The New Castle County Police Department has asked anyone with information about the incident to contact detectives.
News of Linda Stevenson’s death has circulated widely through media outlets, with coverage focusing on the connection to the former first family. However, police emphasized that their investigation is focused on the circumstances surrounding the death and determining what occurred on December 28, 2025.
The Biden family has long been based in Delaware, where Joe Biden represented the state in the U.S. Senate before becoming vice president and later president.
As authorities continue their work, the focus remains on establishing a clear timeline of events and understanding what led to Linda Stevenson’s death. The completion of the autopsy and the analysis of any evidence collected from the scene will be crucial in determining the next steps in the investigation.
