A Biden-appointed former US attorney who was found unresponsive in her Virginia home died from epilepsy, according to officials.
Jessica Aber, 43, died in March after suffering ‘sudden unexpected death in epilepsy’ as she slept in her Alexandria home.
Aber’s manner of death was ruled as ‘natural,’ an official with the Medical Examiner’s Office told The Virginian-Pilot.
The Alexandria Police Department said in March they had found ‘no evidence suggesting that Aber’s death was caused by anything other than natural causes.’
Authorities had noted that Aber had ‘a longstanding medical issue – and Aber’s family previously said she suffered from epilepsy and epileptic seizures for many years.
‘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 said a statement shortly after Aber’s death.
‘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.’
Fatal epileptic seizures, known as Sudden Unexpected Death in Epilepsy, are rare, but are considered a major risk for people who suffer from the disorder.
Jessica Aber’s family members had previously revealed that she suffered from epilepsy and epileptic seizures for years, and died in her sleep
Aber, 43, once the top prosecutor in the Eastern District of Virginia , was found unresponsive in her Washington DC home on March 22
Aber, once Virginia’s top prosecutor, resigned from her post on the day that President Donald Trump began his second term in January.
She had risen through the ranks of the Justice Department before she was eventually appointed by former President Joe Biden to serve as US Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia, or EDVA, in 2021 – becoming one of the few women to ever lead the department.
The district encompasses Northern Virginia, the Pentagon, Langley, the Port of Norfolk and the corridors of federal power in Richmond.
It is also a nerve center of legal activity involving terrorism, espionage, public corruption, and corporate crime.
During her time in the post, Aber led a team of roughly 300 lawyers and staff, prosecuting some of the nation’s most sensitive and consequential cases.
Aber worked in the investigation of former CIA analyst Asif Rahman, who pleaded guilty to leaking Israel’s plan to strike Iran last year.
She was also part of several probes into illegal activities by Russia-tied individuals.
But when Trump re-entered the White House on January 20, Aber stepped down, saying she felt the incoming administration expected her to resign as a Biden-appointee.
During her time in the post, Aber led a team of roughly 300 lawyers and staff, prosecuting some of the nation’s most sensitive and consequential cases
‘It’s a political job,’ she said during the Richmond Police Department’s year-end crime briefing, according to the Richmond Times-Dispatch.
‘President Trump hasn’t indicated explicitly how long, if it all, he would keep the Biden U.S. attorneys, but I decided that I would leave at the end of President Biden’s time.’
In her resignation letter, Aber said working as a U.S. attorney was ‘an honor beyond measure.’
‘I am deeply grateful to senators Mark Warner and Tim Kaine and to President Biden for the opportunity to lead this office and to Attorney General Garland for his steadfast leadership,’ Aber said in January.
‘I am proud of the work we have done with our federal, state and local law enforcement partners to enforce the law and build community trust.’
