A Michigan woman once sentenced to life in prison for the fiery death of her husband is back in the spotlight, telling her side of the story after new murder charges were refiled.
Authorities allege that Linda Stermer deliberately set her family’s home on fire in 2007 to kill her husband, Todd, and then ran him over with the family van as he fled the flames. Stermer has always insisted it was a tragic accident, not a crime.
Stermer was convicted of murder and arson and given a life sentence. But years later, she convinced a judge she hadn’t received a fair trial and was released. The Van Buren County Prosecutor’s Office has since brought fresh charges, reigniting questions that have haunted her family and the community for nearly two decades.
In a rare interview with “48 Hours” correspondent Erin Moriarty, Stermer described the chaos on January 7, 2007.
She claims she was in the basement doing laundry when Todd screamed from upstairs. By the time she reached the first floor, the living room was engulfed in flames. With no shoes and no phone, she ran outside to escape and jumped into the family van to get help.
Stermer insists she begged her husband to get in the van, but he refused. In the chaos, she lost sight of him in the mud and smoke. Investigators, however, later found Todd’s blood on the van’s bumper and undercarriage… evidence that fueled suspicions she had run him down.
Their sons, Trevor and Trenton, say they grew skeptical of their mother’s story. They recall explosive arguments between their parents over money and alleged infidelity in the days leading up to the fire.
“She told us to just believe her,” Trevor said. “But her story didn’t add up.”
Stermer denies infidelity and says Todd was controlling and financially reckless. She describes her husband as jealous and their marriage as deeply troubled.
