Former US Attorney Jessica Aber Found Dead: What We Know

Jessica D. Aber, who until recently served as the U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia (EDVA), was found dead at her Alexandria home on Saturday morning. Alexandria Police confirmed responding to a call at approximately 9:18 a.m. on Beverley Drive, where officers located the 43-year-old former federal prosecutor.

Newsweek reached out to the Alexandria Police Department via email on Saturday for comment.

The Context

Aber’s death comes just two months after she resigned from her position as one of the few women to lead the prestigious U.S. attorney’s office in Northern Virginia, a role to which she was nominated by former President Joe Biden in 2021.

The EDVA is considered one of the most significant federal prosecutor’s offices in the country, overseeing cases related to national security, terrorism, and high-profile white-collar crime across a jurisdiction that includes numerous defense and intelligence agencies.

What To Know

Aber served as U.S. Attorney from October 2021 until early 2025, when she stepped down to allow President Donald Trump to select a successor.

During her tenure, she managed approximately 300 lawyers and staff across four divisions in Alexandria, Richmond, Norfolk, and Newport News, serving over six million residents, according to her U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) biography.

Before she was appointed U.S. Attorney, Aber had worked in the EDVA since 2009, handling financial fraud, public corruption, violent crime, and child exploitation cases. She was part of the prosecution team that secured a conviction against former Virginia governor Robert F. McDonnell on corruption charges in 2014, though the Supreme Court later overturned the convictions.

A California native born in 1981, Aber established her legal career in Virginia after graduating from the University of Richmond in 2003 and obtaining her law degree from William & Mary School of Law in 2006.

What People Are Saying

U.S. Attorney Erik S. Siebert wrote in a statement: “We are heartbroken beyond words to learn of the passing of our friend and former colleague, U.S. Attorney Jessica Aber. 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.”

Siebert added: “Her professionalism, grace, and legal acumen set the standard. 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. Jess was a proud Virginian from high school through college and throughout her career. She loved EDVA and EDVA loved her back. We remain committed to her life’s work, a commitment to seeking justice, as she would have wanted.”

U.S. District Judge M. Hannah Lauck: “Jess was brilliant, but far more important was her sense for justice, her humanity and her ability to change the world in a positive way even during her brief time with us. My clerk family has lost its rock, and I have lost a friend.”

Former Acting U.S. Attorney Raj Parekh told the Washington Post: “Jess’s life and legacy will forever be etched in the hearts of those who had the special privilege of working with her.”

What Happens Next

The Office of the Chief Medical Examiner of Virginia will determine the cause and manner of Aber’s death as the Alexandria Police Department continues its investigation. Meanwhile, colleagues and the legal community are mourning the loss of someone widely regarded as a mentor and dedicated public servant.