Former US attorney Jessica Aber’s cause of death is revealed by family

The family of former U.S. attorney Jessica Aber said the federal prosecutor likely died of natural causes, an update that arrives less than a week after authorities found her dead in her Virginia home over the weekend.

In a statement, Aber’s family said the 43-year-old attorney “died in her sleep” from what is likely an epileptic seizure.

“It is with tremendous sorrow that we acknowledge the sudden passing of our beloved Jessica (Jess) Aber, who died in her sleep on Saturday, March 22,” the statement from the family said. “Jess suffered from epilepsy and epileptic seizures for many years and on Tuesday, March 25, Alexandria (Virginia) Police said in a statement that they believe her death was the result of natural causes.”

Alexandria police, who found Aber around 9:20 a.m. on Saturday, previously said Aber likely died of “natural causes.”

Detectives found “no evidence suggesting that her death was anything other than natural causes,” the statement said. “The investigation is ongoing, and the case will remain open until the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner returns a final ruling on the cause and manner of death.”

Aber’s family said they expected more information in the coming weeks and asked for privacy as they grieve.

The medical examiner’s office had not examined Aber as of Monday morning, according to reports.

Aber, a career federal prosecutor, oversaw significant legal cases for the Justice Department, including those securing convictions for an MS-13 gang leader, the former governor of Virginia and more.

She began her career in the Eastern District of Virginia in 2009, serving as an assistant U.S. attorney before becoming counsel to the assistant attorney general for the criminal division in 2015. One year later, she became deputy chief of the criminal division for the district court.

In 2021, Aber became the third woman to be confirmed to lead the Eastern District of Virginia’s office after being nominated by Biden.

Colleagues described Aber as an “unmatched” leader who was deeply committed to seeking justice. Some told the Washington Post she was detail-oriented and often sat in the courtroom gallery for major trials or hearings.

Aber resigned from her position as U.S. attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia as President Donald Trump took office.

U.S. Attorney Erik Seibert, who currently heads the Eastern District of Virginia, said in a statement that he was “heartbroken beyond words” to learn of Aber’s passing,

“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. Her professionalism, grace, and legal acumen set the standard,” Seibert said.