Former Acting U.S. Attorney Found Dead In San Diego Federal Building

SAN DIEGO, CA — Former acting U.S. Attorney Andrew Haden was found dead this week in an office inside the Edward J. Schwartz Federal Building in downtown San Diego, shortly after he was reported missing.

San Diego police responded to the federal building after receiving a missing person report on Wednesday, according to multiple media reports.

Haden, 48, served as assistant U.S. attorney. He had been a federal prosecutor with the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Southern District of California since 2010. He served as acting U.S. attorney twice during leadership transitions, leading the office for about two months in 2023 and another two months in 2025.

The San Diego County Medical Examiner's Office will determine the official cause and manner of death. There were no signs of foul play involved, the Los Angeles Times reported.

"This is one of the darkest days in our office's history, but there was nothing dark about Andrew Haden's life," Southern District U.S. Attorney Adam Gordon said in a statement. "He was a beacon of light — full of laughter, friendship, integrity, and an unwavering commitment to serving our community. We will honor his life and legacy by carrying his light forward, today and always."

Haden earned a bachelor's degree in political science from Stanford University. He later served five years in the U.S. Navy.

After his military service, Haden attended the University of San Diego School of Law. He clerked for U.S. District Judge Thomas J. Whelan in the Southern District of California before beginning his career as a federal prosecutor.

City News Service contributed to this report.