An official cause of death has been confirmed for Jessica Aber, the former federal prosecutor who stepped down on the day President Donald Trump began his second term in January.
According to the State Medical Examiner’s Office, Aber died from “sudden unexpected death in epilepsy.” The office ruled her death as natural, according to PEOPLE.
Jennifer Starkey, a medicolegal administrator with the northern district office in Manassas, shared the findings in an email on Aug. 20 but said the full autopsy report would not be released, citing Virginia’s health records privacy laws.
Aber was found dead at a home in Alexandria, Virginia, on March 22. She was 43 years old.
Following the announcement of her death, her family spoke out in a statement per PEOPLE to the press, saying “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 statement 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.”
On March 22, the Alexandria Police Department said officers responded to a call about an unresponsive woman at a home in the 900 block of Beverly Drive, where they found Aber. She was pronounced dead at the scene.
In an update on March 25, police added that detectives found no signs her death was caused by anything other than natural causes.
Aber was a respected prosecutor who served as U.S. attorney from 2021 until January 2025, stepping down shortly after President Donald Trump’s inauguration. During her tenure, she oversaw 300 prosecutors and staff, handling high-profile financial fraud, public corruption, violent crime, and child exploitation cases. Also, her office earned recognition for prosecuting CIA leaks and Russian nationals involved in U.S. fraud cases.
A proud Virginian, Aber attended William and Mary Law School, graduating in 2006. She began her career as an Assistant U.S. Attorney in 2009, dedicating over a decade to public service in the Eastern District of Virginia (EDVA).
Her successor, U.S. Attorney Erik Siebert, called Aber “unmatched as a leader, mentor, and prosecutor”, adding: “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.”
