Former President Joe Biden’s nominee to lead the Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia was found dead inside a home in Alexandria, Virginia, authorities announced Saturday, March 22. Jessica Aber, 43, was pronounced dead at the scene when police responded at 9:18 a.m. EST.

CBS News reports that it is unclear if the home belongs to Aber, or who had contacted the police. The Alexandria Police Department said in a statement posted to X that “an investigation is underway surrounding the circumstances of her death,” adding, “The Office of the Chief Medical Examiner of Virginia will determine the cause and manner of death.”

Aber became U.S. attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia in 2021, following her nomination by President Biden and unanimous confirmation by the Senate. She resigned in January, at the start of President Donald Trump’s second term in office.

Attorney general for the Trump administration, Pam Bondi, said in a statement released Saturday, “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.”

Similarly, in another statement released Saturday, Erik Siebert, who replaced Aber, called her an “unmatched leader, mentor, and prosecutor,” saying she is “simply irreplaceable as a human being.”

Aber’s tenure with the Eastern District of Virginia began in 2009 and included stints as the assistant U.S. attorney and deputy chief of the department’s criminal division. She grew up in Virginia, received an undergraduate degree from the University of Richmond, and a law degree from William & Mary Law School.

In 2022, Aber helped launch Ceasefire Virginia, targeting violent crime across the state. That initiative and Aber’s work on it, Virginia Attorney General Jason Miyares said, “saved more lives than we may ever realize.”

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