An official cause of death has been released for Jessica Aber, the former federal prosecutor who resigned on the day President Donald Trump was sworn in for a second term in January.
The State Medical Examiner’s Office determined that Aber died from “sudden unexpected death in epilepsy,” according to The Virginian-Pilot.
Jennifer Starkey, the medicolegal administrator for the State Medical Examiner’s northern district office in Manassas, confirmed in an Aug. 20 email that the manner of death was “natural.” She declined to release the full autopsy report, citing a health records exemption under the Virginia Freedom of Information Act.
:max_bytes(150000):strip_icc():focal(1406x1250:1408x1252):format(webp)/Jessica-Aber-Found-Dead-Virginia-032325-04-0bd4813e2dfa4550b1bd86efbf14c9a3.jpg)
Aber was found dead at a home in Alexandria, Virginia, on Saturday, March 22. She was 43 years old.
Following her death, Aber’s family issued a statement: “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. Jess suffered from epilepsy and epileptic seizures for many years, and on Tuesday, March 25, Alexandria Police said in a statement that they believe her death was the result of natural causes. We expect more information from the medical examiner in the coming weeks. Our family is in shock and grieving deeply, and we respectfully request privacy as we attempt to navigate through our unspeakable loss.”
According to the Cleveland Clinic, epilepsy is a neurological disorder that can cause unexpected seizures, triggered by temporary abnormal electrical activity in the brain.
The Alexandria Police Department reported on March 22 that officers found Aber unresponsive at a home on the 900 block of Beverly Drive. She was pronounced dead at the scene. In a March 25 update, the department added that detectives had found “no evidence suggesting that her death was caused by anything other than natural causes.”
Aber earned her law degree from William & Mary Law School in 2006 and began her career at the Department of Justice in 2009 as an assistant U.S. attorney. She worked on cases involving financial fraud, public corruption, violent crime, and child exploitation, eventually becoming deputy chief of the criminal division for the Eastern District of Virginia (EDVA), according to her DOJ biography.
In August 2021, President Joe Biden nominated her as the U.S. attorney for the EDVA, and she was unanimously confirmed by the Senate.
She resigned from her position on Jan. 20, 2025, the same day President Trump took office for his second term.
In her final post on X, Aber announced her resignation and wrote, “Serving as U.S. Attorney has been an honor. EDVA is full of dedicated, extraordinary public servants. Thanks to everyone who kept up with EDVA’s fantastic work on X during my tenure.”
Erik Siebert, the current U.S. attorney for the EDVA, released a statement on X after her death, writing that the office was “heartbroken beyond words.” He called Aber “unmatched as a leader, mentor, and prosecutor” and said she was “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,” Siebert added. “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 shared condolences in a statement posted on the DOJ website, saying, “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.”
