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Jessica D. Aber, the former US Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia (EDVA), was found dead in her home in Virginia on Saturday morning.
The Alexandria Police Department (APD) confirmed her death in a statement but provided no immediate cause, as investigations remain ongoing.
43-year-old Aber had built a formidable reputation in federal law enforcement circles, first serving as an assistant US attorney in 2009 before rising through the ranks to lead one of the most powerful prosecutorial offices in the country.
Appointed by President Joe Biden in 2021 and unanimously confirmed by the Senate, she led high-profile cases involving national security, financial crimes, and public corruption.
Her tenure came to an abrupt halt two months ago when she resigned.
The move followed the return of President Donald Trump to the White House.
Before resigning from her post, Aber told The Washington Post that she travelled more than 50,000 miles in her Hyundai car to connect and communicate with the students and leaders in Virginia.
The APD reported that officers responded to a call regarding an unresponsive woman at 900 block of Beverley Drive in Alexandria at 9:18 a.m. Saturday. Upon arrival, they found Aber’s body and pronounced her dead at the scene.
“The Office of the Chief Medical Examiner of Virginia will determine the cause and manner of death,” the department’s statement read.
Authorities have not disclosed whether foul play is suspected, and no further details about the circumstances of her death have been released.
Her sudden passing has rattled her former colleagues, many of whom have expressed their grief and admiration for the attorney who, they say, was defined by her commitment to justice.
Erik S. Siebert, the incumbent US attorney for EDVA, issued an emotional tribute, describing Aber as “unmatched as a leader, mentor, and prosecutor.”
“She was simply irreplaceable as a human being. We remain in awe of how much she accomplished in her all-too-brief time in this world,” Siebert said. “Though we are devastated by this loss, each of us in the Eastern District of Virginia will look to her example and endeavor to live up to that standard.”
Virginia Attorney General Jason Miyares also paid tribute, “I am saddened to learn of the passing of Jessica Aber, whose career of public service included U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia and whose work with Ceasefire Virginia saved more lives than we may ever realize,” Miyares wrote in a post on X.
Who Was Jessica Aber?
Born in California in 1981, Aber’s legal career was shaped in Virginia, where she graduated from the University of Richmond before earning her J.D. from William & Mary Law School in 2006.
She joined the U.S. Attorney’s Office in 200. From 2015 to 2016, Ms Aber served on a detailed assignment as counsel to the Assistant Attorney General for the Criminal Division of the Department of Justice. From 2016 until becoming US Attorney, she also served as the Deputy Chief of the Criminal Division for EDVA.
Her rise to the role of US attorney came in 2021 when Biden nominated her to lead EDVA, a jurisdiction known for handling cases of national significance, including terrorism and cybercrime.
She was 43 years old.