Former U.S. federal prosecutor Jessica Aber was found dead at her Alexandria, Virginia, home on Saturday, just two months after stepping down from her position. The 43-year-old was pronounced dead at the scene after authorities responded to a report of an unresponsive woman. The cause of her death is currently unknown, and an investigation is ongoing.
“As a matter of protocol, an investigation is underway surrounding the circumstances of her death,” the Alexandria police department said in a statement. “The Office of the Chief Medical Examiner of Virginia will determine the cause and manner of death.”
Aber served as the U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia from 2021 to 2025, appointed by President Joe Biden and unanimously confirmed by the Senate. She held the position until her resignation on January 20, under the Trump administration. During her tenure, Aber led a team of approximately 300 staff members, overseeing a district that serves around six million residents.
“We are heartbroken beyond words to learn of the passing of our friend and former colleague, U.S. Attorney Jessica Aber," her successor, Erik Siebert, the current U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia, said in a statement. “She was unmatched as a leader, mentor, and prosecutor, and she is simply irreplaceable as a human being. We remain in awe of how much she accomplished in her all too brief time in this world. Each of us in the Eastern District of Virginia will look to her example and endeavor to live up to that standard.”
“Jess was a proud Virginian from high school through college and throughout her career. She loved EDVA, and EDVA loved her back. We remain committed to her life’s work, a commitment to seeking justice, as she would have wanted,” Siebert continued.
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