The death of former US attorney Jessica Aber in March has been attributed to epilepsy, according to the findings of a medical examiner’s office.
On the morning of March 22, Alexandria Police were called to a residence on Beverley Drive after receiving a report of an ‘unresponsive woman.’ Upon arrival, officers discovered the woman had already passed away, identifying her as 43-year-old Aber, who had served as the US attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia.
The State Medical Examiner’s Office has now released an official determination regarding Aber’s death, stating that it was the result of ‘sudden unexpected death in epilepsy,’ as reported by The Virginia-Pilot.
Jennifer Starkey, who serves as the medicolegal administrator for the State Medical Examiner’s northern district office in Manassas, informed the outlet that Aber’s death was deemed ‘natural.’ However, she declined to disclose the complete autopsy findings due to a health records exemption under the Virginia Freedom of Information Act.
Aber, who earned her law degree in 2006, began her career at the Department of Justice in 2009 as an assistant US attorney. During her tenure, she handled a wide array of cases, including those related to child exploitation, financial fraud, violent crime, and corruption.
She later served as the deputy chief of the criminal division for the Eastern District of Virginia (EDVA) before being nominated by former US President Joe Biden to the position of US attorney for the district.
In her capacity as US attorney, she was responsible for serving over six million residents within the district and led a team of approximately 300 prosecutors, civil litigators, and other personnel. Aber stepped down from her prominent role shortly before Donald Trump assumed office as the 47th president of the United States in January.
In her final tweet, Aber announced her resignation, stating: “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.”
Following news of her death, Aber’s family issued a public 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 (Virginia) Police said in a statement that they believe her death was the result of natural causes,” the family continued.
“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.”
Erik S. Siebert, the current US Attorney for EDVA, expressed that the office is ‘heartbroken beyond words,’ describing Aber as an ‘unmatched’ leader and ‘mentor.’
Siebert emphasized that Aber 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,” he penned. “Her professionalism, grace and legal acumen set the standard.”