SAN DIEGO — Assistant U.S. Attorney Andrew Haden, a veteran Justice Department prosecutor who twice led the Southern District of California, was found dead inside the Edward J. Schwartz Federal Building on Aug. 19, hours after he was reported missing.
Haden, 48, was discovered in an office at 880 Front Street, which houses the U.S. Attorney’s Office. San Diego police received a missing-person report that evening and soon located him. Investigators said they found no sign of criminal activity. “Out of an abundance of caution, SDPD investigators responded to the scene, and no foul play is suspected,” a department spokesperson said. The San Diego County Medical Examiner later ruled the death a suicide.
Haden joined the Southern District office in 2010 and spent more than 15 years as a federal prosecutor. He led the Violent Crimes and Human Trafficking Section and later the Criminal Division. He also served as first assistant U.S. attorney, the office’s No. 2 official, and as acting U.S. attorney during leadership transitions in 2023 and 2025, each time for about two months.
U.S. Attorney Adam Gordon called the day after Haden’s death “one of the darkest days in our office’s history,” adding that “there was nothing dark about Andrew Haden’s life.” Gordon described him as “a beacon of light — full of laughter, friendship, integrity, and an unwavering commitment to serving our community.” He declined to discuss further details out of respect for Haden’s wife and two children.
A San Diego native, Haden graduated from University City High School and earned a political science degree from Stanford University. He served five years in the U.S. Navy, with two overseas deployments supporting Operations Enduring Freedom and Iraqi Freedom and Joint Task Force Liberia. After the Navy he attended the University of San Diego School of Law and clerked for U.S. District Judge Thomas J. Whelan before becoming a prosecutor.
Chief Judge Cynthia Bashant called his death “a loss for everyone” and said Haden was “well loved and well respected.” Defense attorney Jeremy Warren, who often opposed him in court, said their professional fights never ended their friendship. “The fact that we remained friends throughout is a testament to the type of guy he was,” Warren said.
This month the U.S. District Court announced it will posthumously award Haden the 2026 Hon. David H. Bartick Award for Civility and Professionalism. The Justice Department is also expected to honor him with a Director’s Award for trial work convicting a defendant who threatened federal judges.
Officials have released few additional details about the night he died. Colleagues have focused on his record, his family, and the respect he earned on both sides of the courtroom.
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