Assistant U.S. Atty. Andrew Haden was found dead in an office inside the Edward J. Schwartz federal building in San Diego on Wednesday, shortly after being reported missing. There were no signs of foul play involved, authorities said.<\/p>\n
Haden, 48, had worked for the U.S. attorney\u2019s office since 2010 and twice served as acting U.S. attorney for the Southern District of California during transitions of leadership \u2014 once for around two months in 2023 and then again for another two-month stint in 2025.<\/p>\n
Southern District U.S. Atty. Adam Gordon confirmed Haden\u2019s death in a statement,<\/a> saying Thursday was \u201cone of the darkest days in our office\u2019s history, but there was nothing dark about Andrew Haden\u2019s life.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cHe was a beacon of light \u2014 full of laughter, friendship, integrity, and an unwavering commitment to serving our community,\u201d Gordon said. \u201cWe will honor his life and legacy by carrying his light forward, today and always.\u201d<\/p>\n San Diego police received a report of a missing man late Wednesday evening and found him dead in an office at 880 Front St. shortly after, according to department spokesperson Ashley Nicholes. The address is that of the downtown San Diego federal building, which houses the U.S. attorney\u2019s office.<\/p>\n \u201cOut of an abundance of caution, SDPD investigators responded to the scene, and no foul play is suspected,\u201d she said in a statement. \u201cThe official cause and manner of death will be determined by the Medical Examiner.\u201d<\/p>\n Haden was a veteran prosecutor who held several leadership roles during his career, including that of first assistant attorney general for the Southern District, which is the second-in-command role. He also served as chief of the Violent Crimes & Human Trafficking Section and of the Criminal Division.<\/p>\n Haden was raised in San Diego and graduated from University City High before obtaining his bachelor\u2019s degree in political science from Stanford University. <\/p>\n He then served five years in the Navy and completed two overseas deployments in support of<\/a> Operation Enduring Freedom, Operation Iraqi Freedom and Joint Task Force Liberia. <\/p>\n After leaving the military, he went to law school at the University of San Diego and served as a law clerk for U.S. District Judge Thomas J. Whelan in the Southern District of California.<\/p>\n Haden received multiple accolades during his legal career, including the Director\u2019s Award for Superior Performance in a Managerial or Supervisory Role from the Executive Office for United States Attorneys in 2020 and the Peter J. Mazza Outstanding Federal Lawyer Award from the San Diego chapter of the Federal Bar Assn. in 2024.<\/p>\n