The federal law enforcement community in Southern California is mourning the sudden death of veteran prosecutor Andrew Haden, who was found dead Wednesday inside a San Diego federal building just hours after he had been reported missing.
Haden, 48, was discovered inside an office at the Edward J. Schwartz Federal Building. San Diego police responded to the scene and said investigators found no evidence suggesting foul play.
“Out of an abundance of caution, SDPD investigators responded to the scene, and no foul play is suspected,” a police spokesperson said. “The official cause and manner of death will be determined by the Medical Examiner.”
The medical examiner has not yet publicly determined the cause or manner of Haden’s death, leaving an important question unanswered as colleagues and friends mourn a prosecutor who spent more than 15 years serving the federal government.
Haden joined the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of California in 2010 and eventually rose to lead the office twice.
He served as acting U.S. attorney for roughly two months during leadership transitions in both 2023 and 2025, temporarily placing him in charge of federal prosecutions throughout one of the country’s most significant border districts.
Current U.S. Attorney Adam Gordon described the loss in deeply personal terms.
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 said. “We will honor his life and legacy by carrying his light forward, today and always.”
Gordon declined to provide additional details surrounding Haden’s death out of respect for his wife and children.
Haden’s career reflected a lengthy commitment to public service that began well before he entered a federal courtroom.
A San Diego native, Haden attended University City High School before earning a bachelor’s degree in political science from Stanford University. After college, he spent five years serving in the U.S. Navy and completed two overseas deployments.
He later returned home to attend the University of San Diego School of Law.
Before joining the U.S. attorney’s office, Haden clerked for U.S. District Judge Thomas J. Whelan in the Southern District of California, gaining experience in the same federal court system where he would eventually build his prosecutorial career.
Tributes following his death came from both sides of the courtroom, which says plenty about the reputation Haden developed over the years.
Southern District of California Chief Judge Cynthia Bashant described his death as a “loss for everyone” and said Haden was “well loved and well respected.”
Defense attorney Jeremy Warren offered perhaps an equally telling tribute. Warren frequently faced Haden as an opposing attorney, but the two maintained a friendship despite their courtroom battles.
“The fact that we remained friends throughout is a testament to the type of guy he was,” Warren said.
He described Haden’s death as “a huge blow to the entire federal community in San Diego.”
In a profession where opposing attorneys are literally paid to fight over consequential legal questions, maintaining that kind of respect isn’t automatic. It has to be earned.
The circumstances surrounding Haden’s death will naturally attract attention because of his prominent position, his history leading a major U.S. attorney’s office and the fact that he was found inside a federal building after being reported missing.
At this stage, however, authorities have specifically stated that no foul play is suspected.
Until the medical examiner completes the investigation, speculation would run ahead of the known facts.
What is already established is Haden’s record: Navy veteran, attorney, judicial clerk, longtime federal prosecutor and twice acting U.S. attorney.
At only 48 years old, his death brings an unexpectedly early end to a career built around public service.
Haden leaves behind a wife and children, along with colleagues throughout San Diego’s federal legal community who are remembering him not merely as a formidable prosecutor, but as a respected friend.
For an attorney who spent his career making cases with evidence, sticking to the facts while authorities determine what happened is a fitting way to honor his legacy.
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