A veteran federal prosecutor who was reported missing has been found dead inside the San Diego federal office where he worked.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Andrew Haden, 48, was discovered Wednesday night in an office at the Edward J. Schwartz Federal Building.

Haden had spent years rising through the leadership ranks of that office.

He had twice served as acting U.S. attorney for the Southern District of California, placing him in charge of one of the nation’s busiest federal prosecutorial offices during two separate leadership transitions.

San Diego police said officers went to 880 Front Street after receiving a missing-person report late Wednesday evening. Investigators responded to the scene, but authorities say they found no indication of foul play.

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The official cause and manner of death have not been released. Those determinations will be made by the San Diego County Medical Examiner.

Times of San Diego reported the heartbreaking news Friday morning:

Times of San Diego reported that police were called after Haden was reported missing and located a deceased person inside an office at the downtown federal complex several hours later.

Police spokesperson Ashley Nicholes said investigators went to the location out of an abundance of caution. She emphasized that no criminal act is suspected while leaving the official cause and manner of death to the medical examiner.

U.S. Attorney Adam Gordon confirmed that the person found was Haden and delivered a moving tribute to a colleague who had spent more than 15 years serving the office.

Gordon called it one of the darkest days in the office’s history, then remembered Haden as a source of joy, friendship and integrity whose commitment to the community never wavered.

The Los Angeles Times also shared its report:

The Los Angeles Times reported that Haden joined the U.S. Attorney’s Office in 2010 and built a career across its General Crimes, Major Crimes, Violent Crimes and Human Trafficking sections. His responsibilities ranged from frontline prosecutions to some of the office’s most demanding leadership assignments.

He eventually became chief of the Criminal Division and first assistant U.S. attorney, the office’s second-ranking position. Those jobs placed him over major federal prosecutions and the daily work of hundreds of attorneys and staff members.

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He served as acting U.S. attorney for roughly two months in 2023 and again during a separate transition in 2025.

The newspaper also reported that Gordon withheld additional details out of respect for Haden’s wife and children.

Haden was raised in San Diego and graduated from University City High School.

He later received the Peter J. Mazza Outstanding Federal Lawyer Award from the San Diego chapter of the Federal Bar Association in 2024, adding to a series of honors earned during his Justice Department career.

People published another account as news of Haden’s death spread nationally:

The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of California described Haden as a San Diego native and career prosecutor when he was first sworn in as acting U.S. attorney in August 2023.

Before entering the law, Haden graduated from Stanford University and served five years as a U.S. Navy officer. His service included two overseas deployments and a final assignment as navigator aboard the guided-missile cruiser USS Mobile Bay.

He later earned his law degree from the University of San Diego and clerked for U.S. District Judge Thomas J. Whelan before joining the Justice Department through the Attorney General’s Honors Program.

Haden’s work earned him the Executive Office for United States Attorneys’ Director’s Award for Superior Performance in a Managerial or Supervisory Role in 2020.

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The Justice Department’s official leadership record shows that Haden led the Southern District from August through October 2023 and again from February through April 2025.

During those periods, he served as the district’s chief federal law-enforcement official for San Diego and Imperial counties.

That public record tells only part of the story. Gordon’s remembrance focused on the man behind the titles — a colleague known for laughter, friendship and service.

For now, authorities are asking the public to wait for the medical examiner’s findings rather than speculate about what happened.

Haden leaves behind a family, an office in mourning and a record of public service that stretched from the Navy to the highest prosecutorial role in Southern California.

May he rest in peace.

This is a Guest Post from our friends over at WLTReport. View the original article here.

 

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