Ex-US Attorney Jessica Aber, who quit after Trump took office, found dead

Jessica Aber, who was appointed US Attorney by former President Joe Biden, resigned in January 2025 when President Donald Trump began his second term

Former US Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia, Jessica Aber, was found dead on Saturday morning at a home in Alexandria, Virginia, according to local authorities. She was 43 years old.

 

Officers from the Alexandria Police Department responded to a report of an unresponsive woman at 9:18 am Eastern Time (ET). Upon arrival, they found Aber deceased at the scene. It was not immediately clear if the home belonged to Aber or who had placed the call to emergency services.

 

The Virginia medical examiner’s office will determine the official cause of death. Authorities have not released further details, but the Alexandria Police Department stated that "as a matter of protocol, an investigation is underway surrounding the circumstances of her death."

 

 

Aber, a Virginia native, was appointed US Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia by former President Joe Biden in 2021 and served for approximately three years before resigning in January when President Donald Trump began his second term.

 

News of her passing prompted an outpouring of tributes. Erik Siebert, her successor as US Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia, expressed deep sorrow over the loss.

 

"We are heartbroken beyond words to learn of the passing of our friend and former colleague, US Attorney Jessica Aber," Siebert 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."

 

Virginia Attorney General Jason Miyares also paid tribute to Aber’s contributions, particularly her work on Ceasefire Virginia, a statewide initiative launched in 2022 to combat violent crime.

 

"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," Miyares wrote in a social media post.

 

“The loss of Jessica Aber, former US 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,” said Attorney General Pamela Bondi in a statement.

 

According to a CBS News report, Aber’s legal career began in private practice before she joined the Eastern District of Virginia as an assistant US attorney in 2009. She later served as deputy chief of the office’s Criminal Division and held a position as counsel to the assistant attorney general for the Justice Department’s Criminal Division from 2015 to 2016.

 

During her tenure as US attorney, Aber oversaw a staff of approximately 300 people, serving a district that encompasses around six million residents. She was known for her dedication to justice and leadership in tackling major federal cases.

 

Aber earned her undergraduate degree from the University of Richmond and obtained her law degree from William & Mary Law School in 2006.

 

The investigation into her death remains ongoing.

 

(With inputs from agencies)