Linda Stermer Found Guilty of Husband’s 2007 Murder

PAW PAW, MI — A jury convicted Linda Stermer of murdering her husband, Todd Stermer, in a fire on April 11, 2025. The verdict came three weeks after a retrial in which 38 witnesses provided testimony about events surrounding the fatal incident that occurred on January 7, 2007. Stermer, now 60, faced charges of first-degree premeditated murder and felony murder.

During four hours of closing arguments, Van Buren County Prosecutor Susan Zuiderveen detailed inconsistencies in Stermer’s statements leading up to the fire. “Every witness is only one piece of this trial,” Zuiderveen noted, as she emphasized the necessity for jurors to be fact-finders in this complex case. “She can’t tell the truth of what happened on Jan. 7, 2007, because the truth makes her guilty of the murder of Todd Stermer.”

Todd Stermer, 42, was found severely burned in the yard of their County Road 215 home hours after the fire broke out. He succumbed to smoke inhalation and thermal injuries from the blaze. Evidence presented during the trial included witness accounts, forensic analysis, and testimony from fire experts who suggested the fire was intentionally set.

In 2010, Linda Stermer was initially convicted of murder after a previous trial, but she was granted a retrial in December 2018 due to ineffective defense counsel and prosecutorial misconduct. The retrial began on March 27 and saw Stermer’s three sons testify against her, alleging that she had instructed them to lie to investigators.

During Thursday’s closing arguments, Zuiderveen described the extensive evidence linking Stermer to the fatal fire. Testimonies highlighted that gasoline was discovered on Todd Stermer’s clothing, suggesting arson. A witness from a nearby gas station testified seeing Linda Stermer fill a container with gasoline on the day of the fire.

The defense countered that there were many possible fire hazards in the house, pointing to an expert who suggested the chimney might have caused the blaze. Defense attorney Wolf Mueller argued, “The burden of proof for the state is extremely high. If you have any doubt…I encourage you to consider that reasonable doubt.”

However, Zuiderveen rebutted, arguing that the prosecution’s evidence established that Linda Stermer had indeed set the fire, which was verified by a fire investigator’s analysis. She stated that Stermer had time to rethink her actions but chose not to save her husband.

After hearing all the evidence and the closing arguments, the jury began deliberating early Friday morning. They returned with the guilty verdict shortly after 5 p.m. Stermer now faces a mandatory life sentence without the possibility of parole, with sentencing scheduled for May 19.