The death of a former U.S. attorney in Virginia over the weekend has left lingering questions, including how she died and if a medical condition was a factor.
Police in Alexandria said Jessica Aber, 43, was found dead in her home around 9:18 a.m. Saturday after the department received a call about an unresponsive woman. Aber served as the U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia until her resignation earlier this year.
An investigation into Aber’s manner of death is underway “as a matter of protocol,” according to police.
As of Monday morning, the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner of Virginia has not examined Aber, a Virginia Department of Health spokesperson told USA TODAY.
Here is what to know about Aber, her death and what she meant to the Justice Department.
Aber reportedly had a ‘longstanding medical issue’
Before Aber’s death, she was dealing with a “longstanding medical issue,” multiple outlets including Fox News and CBS News reported, citing a friend of the family.
Police believe the medical issue contributed to her death, Fox News and NBC News reported, citing a family friend.
It is unclear what medical issue Aber reportedly had before her death.
The Chief Medical Examiner of Virginia will eventually determine Aber’s cause of death, but the office has not yet examined the body, the office said Monday.
‘We are heartbroken beyond words’
Erik S. Siebert, the current U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia, released a statement following Aber’s death, saying, “We are heartbroken beyond words to learn of the passing of our friend and former colleague.”
“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. 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.”
U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi also released a statement concerning Aber’s death: “The loss of Jessica Aber, former U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia, is deeply tragic. Our hearts and prayers go out to her family and friends during this profoundly difficult time.”
What did Jessica Aber accomplish as US attorney?
Aber served as U.S. attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia from August of 2021 until President Donald Trump’s inauguration in January. She was nominated to the position by former President Joe Biden and unanimously confirmed by the Senate.
As top federal prosecutor, Aber oversaw money laundering charges against two Russian nationals, a guilty plea from Siemens Energy over corporate espionage charges and murder convictions against an MS-13 gang member.
In 2023, the Eastern District of Virginia charged four Russia-affiliated military personnel with war crimes including unlawful confinement, inhuman treatment and torture of a U.S. national in Ukraine following Russia’s invasion in 2022.
Aber resigned from the U.S. attorney’s office on Jan. 20, ending her time at the place she began working at in 2006 as a clerk. She would eventually become an assistant U.S. attorney for the district she’d later lead in 2009.
“I’ve had the privilege of spending my career as a prosecutor in the Eastern District of Virginia working alongside talented, hard-working public servants who manage matters affecting citizens here and across the world,” Aber said in January. “Concluding my service to the District as its U.S. Attorney has been an honor beyond measure.”
