A veteran Justice Department prosecutor who twice served as the top federal prosecutor in Southern California was found dead inside a San Diego federal building Wednesday, just hours after authorities received a report that he was missing.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Andrew Haden, 48, was discovered inside an office at the Edward J. Schwartz Federal Building in downtown San Diego, which houses the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of California.
San Diego police said officers received a missing-person report late Wednesday evening.
Authorities were subsequently called to an office at 880 Front Street, where Haden was found dead.
Police investigators responded to the building but said their preliminary investigation uncovered no evidence suggesting criminal activity was involved.
“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.”
As of Friday, authorities had not publicly announced an official cause or manner of death.
Haden was far from a newcomer to the Justice Department.
He joined the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of California in 2010 and spent more than 15 years working as a federal prosecutor.
During his career, he served in several senior leadership positions, including chief of the Violent Crimes and Human Trafficking Section and chief of the Criminal Division.
He also served as the office’s first assistant U.S. attorney, effectively making him the second-ranking official in the Southern District.
Haden ultimately rose to the top position on two separate occasions, serving as acting U.S. attorney during leadership transitions in 2023 and again in 2025.
Each stint lasted approximately two months.
News of his sudden death deeply affected San Diego’s federal law enforcement and legal communities.
U.S. Attorney Adam Gordon described Thursday as “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 said. “We will honor his life and legacy by carrying his light forward, today and always.”
Gordon reportedly declined to provide additional details surrounding Haden’s death out of respect for the prosecutor’s wife and children.
Haden was a San Diego native whose career included service both in the military and in federal law enforcement.
Haden then served five years in the U.S. Navy and completed two overseas deployments.
His military service included support for Operations Enduring Freedom and Iraqi Freedom, as well as Joint Task Force Liberia.
After leaving the Navy, Haden returned to San Diego and attended the University of San Diego School of Law.
He later clerked for U.S. District Judge Thomas J. Whelan before beginning his career as a federal prosecutor.
Southern District of California Chief Judge Cynthia Bashant called his death a “loss for everyone” and described Haden as “well loved and well respected.”
Defense attorney Jeremy Warren, who regularly found himself opposite Haden in federal court, said their professional battles never prevented the two men from maintaining a friendship.
“The fact that we remained friends throughout is a testament to the type of guy he was,” Warren said, describing Haden’s death as “a huge blow to the entire federal community in San Diego.”
The circumstances surrounding Haden’s death remain under official review.
Authorities have stressed that investigators currently do not suspect foul play, while the San Diego County Medical Examiner is responsible for determining the official cause and manner of death.
Until that determination is released, officials have provided few additional details about what happened inside the federal building Wednesday night.
