A veteran federal prosecutor who twice led the U.S. attorney’s office in Southern California was found dead Wednesday inside a San Diego federal building, hours after he was reported missing.
Andrew Haden, 48, was discovered in an office at the Edward J. Schwartz Federal Building, according to local authorities. San Diego police said investigators found no indication of foul play.
“Out of an abundance of caution, SDPD investigators responded to the scene, and no foul play is suspected,” a spokesperson said in a statement. “The official cause and manner of death will be determined by the Medical Examiner.”
The medical examiner has not yet announced Haden’s cause or manner of death.
Haden joined the U.S. attorney’s office in 2010 and later served two stints as acting U.S. attorney for the Southern District of California. He held the top position for roughly two months during leadership transitions in both 2023 and 2025.
U.S. Attorney Adam Gordon called Thursday “one of the darkest days in our office’s history, but there was nothing dark about Andrew Haden’s life.”
“He was a beacon of light — full of laughter, friendship, integrity, and an unwavering commitment to serving our community,” Gordon told the San Diego Union-Tribune. “We will honor his life and legacy by carrying his light forward, today and always.”
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Gordon declined to release further details out of respect for Haden’s wife and children, according to the newspaper.
A San Diego native, Haden attended University City High School before earning a bachelor’s degree in political science from Stanford University.
He then spent five years in the Navy and completed two overseas deployments before returning to San Diego for law school at the University of San Diego.
Haden later clerked for U.S. District Judge Thomas J. Whelan in the Southern District of California before beginning his lengthy career as a federal prosecutor.
Southern District of California Chief Judge Cynthia Bashant described Haden’s death as a “loss for everyone,” telling the Union-Tribune that he was “well loved and well respected.”
Defense attorney Jeremy Warren, who frequently squared off against Haden in court, remembered him as a respected opponent and close friend.
“The fact that we remained friends throughout is a testament to the type of guy he was,” Warren told the newspaper, calling Haden’s death “a huge blow to the entire federal community in San Diego.”
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