In Kalamazoo, Michigan, a woman stands trial for the beating and burning of her husband in 2007. Linda Stermer has been accused of setting her husband on fire in their home after beating him, and running him over when he tried to flee. In 2010, she was initially sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole. However, her conviction was overturned eight years later when her defense argued she did not receive the fair trial she was due.
Battered and Burned
On January 7, 2007, according to the prosecution, Linda Stermer allegedly hit her husband, Todd Stermer, with an object while he slept. Afterward, she set their home in Lawrence, Michigan, on fire. When Todd managed to escape the flames, he ran outside with his upper body burning. Linda then proceeded to run him over with their minivan.
According to Linda Stermer, the events that took place were quite different. She claims she was doing laundry in the basement when she heard Todd screaming. At that time, she ran upstairs to find their living room ablaze. She says her husband attempted to extinguish the fire, and when she could not reach him, she fled the home. In an interview for “48 Hours,” she admitted her first thought was to get out, not to call for help.
Linda Stermer planned to take off in the van to get help from a neighbor, and since they were located on a large property, driving was the quickest solution. However, before she took off, she saw Todd running out of the house engulfed in flames. She could not wrangle him, so she got in the van to try to drive away. She does not recall hitting him as the tires spun underneath, and she was not going anywhere.
Charges and Initial Trial
The Van Buren County Sheriff’s detectives investigated this case for two years before making an arrest. An autopsy was performed on Todd, confirming his cause of death, which was a combination of blunt-force trauma and thermal injuries. There were four lacerations to his scalp and two rib fractures, which occurred before he was burned alive. Investigators also confirmed he was run over due to his blood being found on the bumper of their minivan.
On June 5, 2009, Linda Stermer was arrested for the murder of her husband. She was charged with arson and first-degree murder. She maintains her innocence to this day, but her son believes differently. In the same interview with “48 Hours,” Linda’s son, Trevor Stermer, said, “Our mother murdered our father.” He continued, “She set the house on fire, doused him in gasoline, then, after the fact, when he managed to get out of the house, she ran him over with her van.”
The testimony at Linda Stermer’s first trial was weak, and the evidence was circumstantial. Her former close friend’s testimony and the events described from that night convicted her. Her friend accused Linda of having an affair and talked about running Todd over to kill him. On January 13, 2010, she was convicted and sentenced to life in prison without parole. She served less than 10 years before being released in 2018. Judge Arthur J. Tarnow overturned her conviction, declaring misconduct amongst the prosecution, leaving Linda with an unfair trial.
The State of Michigan filed an appeal to reinstate her conviction, and it was denied on May 15, 2020. The Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals upheld the judge’s ruling, and the Van Buren County Prosecutor’s office refiled murder charges against Linda Stermer. Her two sons claim she is guilty and will testify against her in her retrial if they must. However, her daughters from a previous marriage believe she is innocent and will testify on their mother’s behalf.
Linda Stermer’s Retrial
The prosecution kicked off the retrial with opening statements on March 27, 2025, in Linda Stermer’s retrial. They set out to prove she premeditated the murder of her husband and set the fire to kill him so she could hide her infidelity. Her defense attorney, Ronald Kelly, argues the fire was accidental, and the investigation ensued because the insurance company was looking to avoid paying the claim by using Linda as a scapegoat.
A nearby neighbor, Michael Metheny, testified to the chaotic scene when he drove to the Stermers’ home to check out the smoke. He saw Linda pulling the van around front, and his girlfriend called 911. In the call, you can hear a hysterical woman freaking out in the background. The defense used this phone call to show the trauma Linda suffered during that night and to prove she had no intentions of setting fire or killing her husband.
There is an evident disconnect between the testimony of neighbors and first responders. Linda Sterner told conflicting stories, suggesting she could not keep her lies straight. One neighbor, Kim Thompson, testified to four different scenarios Linda told her about what transpired. However, her defense claims that the inconsistent statements are all due to the chaos from that evening’s events.
Linda Stermer’s retrial will resume on Tuesday, April 1. It is expected to last a few more days, with more testimony from witnesses and experts. If she is reconvicted of this crime, she is unlikely to get out again and could spend the rest of her life in prison.
