Jessica Aber death | Medical Examiner releases finding on passing of former U.S. Attorney

The official word on the death of Jessica Aber, the former U.S. Attorney in Virginia who stepped down on the day of the Trump inauguration: “sudden unexpected death in epilepsy.”

Aber, 43, a Joe Biden appointee, died in her sleep in her Alexandria home on March 22.

Her family, in a statement to The Virginian-Pilot, which broke the news on the report from the State Medical Examiner’s Office on Aber’s passing, said Aber had suffered from “epilepsy and epileptic seizures for many years.”

Aber led the Office of the U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia after being appointed by Biden and confirmed by the U.S. Senate in 2021.

As U.S. Attorney, she prosecuted high-profile cases for the U.S. government including cases involving war crimes, intelligence leaks, national security, corruption, terrorism, child exploitation and other violent crimes. She also prosecuted slumlords, drug dealers, prostitution rings, gang members, rapists, fraud and more.

One of her high-profile cases included war crimes in connection to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.

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ICYMI

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• Virginia company and two senior executives charged with illegally exporting millions of dollars of U.S. technology to Russia
• Former CIA analyst pleads guilty to transmitting Top Secret national defense information
• United States charges four mariners from Arabian sea vessel transporting suspected Iranian-made advanced conventional weapons
• Virginia man convicted for crypto financing scheme to ISIS
• EDVA seizes 13 domains used by Lebanese Hizballah and its affiliates
• Two individuals charged with scheme to export and smuggle aviation device to United Arab Emirates

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Prior to her tenure as U.S. Attorney, Aber, an alum of the University of Richmond and William & Mary Law School, had worked for the Department of Justice as an assistant U.S. attorney and as the deputy chief of the criminal division for the Eastern District of Virginia.

“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 a news release announcing her resignation in January.

“Concluding my service to the District as its U.S. Attorney has been an honor beyond measure … I am proud of the work we have done with our federal, state, and local law enforcement partners to enforce the law and build community trust.”