The first husband of former first lady Jill Biden has been charged with killing his wife at their Delaware home in late December, authorities announced in a news release on Tuesday.

William Stevenson, 77, of Wilmington was married to Jill Biden from 1970 to 1975. Caroline Harrison, the Delaware Attorney General’s spokeswoman, confirmed in a phone call that Stevenson is the former husband of Jill Biden.

Stevenson remains in jail after failing to post US$500,000 bail after his arrest on Monday on first-degree murder charges.

He is charged with killing Linda Stevenson, 64, on December 28.

Police were called to the home for a reported domestic dispute after 11pm and found a woman unresponsive in the living room, according to a prior news release. Life-saving measures were unsuccessful.

The deceased ran a bookkeeping business and was described as a family-oriented mother and grandmother and a Philadelphia Eagles fan, according to her obituary, which does not mention her husband.