RICHMOND, Va. (WRIC) — The Richmond Police Department’s Police Chief spoke out on the death of former U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia, Jessica D. Aber.
“I got a call from the current U.S. Attorney, [Erik S. Seibert] made me aware that Jess had passed, and it didn’t compute at first,” said Richmond Police Chief Rick Edwards. “She’s so young and vibrant. I just saw her a little over a week ago. It’s just such a surprise and disbelief.”
According to the Alexandria Police Department, officers responded at 9:18 a.m. on Saturday, March 22 to a report of an unresponsive woman at the 900 block of Beverley Drive. Authorities later identified the woman as Aber. She was 43 years old.
Edwards said he worked with Aber for seven years on many cases, including “The Yellow House” drug bust in 2022. The case involved several arrests in connection to drugs — including crack, cocaine, heroin and fentanyl — at a house near the Union Hill area.
Edwards said Aber’s assistance greatly helped the case move forward from “constant roadblocks.”
“I was at a conference in Indianapolis, I believe, and Jess [Aber] was there,” Edwards said. “We discussed it and she said, ‘Let me think on this.’ She contacted folks from the [United States Drug Enforcement Administration] since it was drug-related. She talked to one of her prosecutors who focused on asset forfeiture and they made the investment.”
Edwards said Aber will be remembered for her kindness, being a brilliant lawyer and her strong relationship with the City of Richmond.
“I remember her sitting in Mosby Court on a stoop with a little girl for ten — 15 minutes,” Edwards said. “I asked her what they were talking about and she said the little girl wanted to be a lawyer and she gave her a card. She took the time to explain what it takes to become a lawyer.”
Officials said that an investigation regarding the circumstances of Aber’s death is underway, and the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner of Virginia will determine the cause and manner of her death.
Aber was appointed by former President Joe Biden and was sworn into office on Oct. 12, 2021.
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