Jessica Aber, the former U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia (EDVA), was found dead Saturday morning in Alexandria, according to police. She was 43.
Authorities say the cause and circumstances surrounding her death remain under investigation. The Office of the Chief Medical Examiner of Virginia will determine the official cause.
Police responded to a call about an unresponsive woman around 9:18 a.m. on the 900 block of Beverley Drive. When they arrived, Aber was already deceased.
Aber had a long and distinguished career in public service. She began her work with the U.S. Attorney’s Office in 2009 as an assistant U.S. attorney. Between 2015 and 2016, she was detailed as counsel to the assistant attorney general for the Department of Justice’s Criminal Division. She later rose to become deputy chief of EDVA’s criminal division.
In 2021, she was nominated by President Joe Biden and confirmed unanimously by the Senate to lead EDVA. She resigned two months ago following the transition to President Donald Trump’s administration.
Tributes have since poured in from across the legal and political world.
Virginia Attorney General Jason Miyares posted on X, writing, “I am saddened to learn of the passing of Jessica Aber, whose career of public service included US Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia and whose work with Ceasefire Virginia saved more lives than we may ever realize.”
Erik S. Siebert, the current U.S. Attorney for EDVA, released a statement calling Aber “unmatched as a leader, mentor, and prosecutor” and said 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. Her professionalism, grace, and legal acumen set the standard,” he wrote. “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.”
Siebert also noted her strong ties to the state, calling her a “proud Virginian.” Aber earned her undergraduate degree from the University of Richmond and her law degree from William & Mary.
“She loved EDVA, and EDVA loved her back,” he added. “We remain committed to her life’s work, a commitment to seeking justice, as she would have wanted.”
Authorities have not released any additional details at this time.