Assistant U.S. Attorney Andrew Haden, who twice served as acting U.S. attorney for the Southern District of California during transitions between full-time leaders, died late Wednesday inside the downtown San Diego federal building that houses the U.S. Attorney’s Office, authorities said Thursday.
A 48-year-old father of two school-aged children and a U.S. Navy veteran, Haden had worked in the U.S. Attorney’s Office for 16 years. He was found dead late Wednesday night inside a vacant office at the federal building after being reported missing earlier in the day. A person familiar with the situation said it’s suspected Haden took his own life. Police do not suspect foul play.
“This is one of the darkest days in our office’s history, but there was nothing dark about Andrew Haden’s life,” San Diego 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.”
The San Diego Police Department confirmed that it is investigating a death at the downtown building that houses the U.S. Attorney’s Office.
“Late Wednesday evening, San Diego Police were called regarding a man who was potentially missing,” a department spokesperson said. “A short time later, he was discovered deceased by law enforcement in an office at 880 Front (Street) in Downtown San Diego. Out of an abundance of caution, SDPD investigators responded to the scene, and no foul play is suspected. The official cause and manner of death will be determined by the Medical Examiner.”
The county Medical Examiner’s Office confirmed it was investigating Haden’s death but provided no other details.
Gordon held an all-hands meeting Thursday and later sent an email to all staff informing them that Haden was “reported missing yesterday and was later found deceased.” He wrote that out of respect for Haden’s wife and children, he wouldn’t disclose further details.
“He was the best of us, and only ever wanted the best for us,” Gordon wrote in the email to staff that the Union-Tribune viewed. “He was a beacon of light and leaves an incredible legacy for his leadership and commitment to our office and community.”
Prosecutors, judges and defense attorneys alike praised his career and mourned his unexpected death.
“We are all devastated by the news about Andrew Haden,” Southern District of California Chief Judge Cynthia Bashant told the Union-Tribune. “This tragedy is a loss for everyone: his family, the court family and the legal community. He was well loved and well respected. Frankly, words fail me.”
Defense attorney Jeremy Warren often locked horns with Haden inside the courtroom, including a long trial during the high-profile illegal gun-dealing prosecution of former sheriff’s Capt. Marco Garmo and jeweler Leo Hamel.
“(It was) a very heavily litigated and hard-fought trial,” Warren said Thursday. “And the fact that we remained friends throughout is a testament to the type of guy he was.”
Warren said the criminal defense bar greatly respected Haden and was shocked by Thursday morning’s news.
“He embodied everything we hope to see in a prosecutor — he was smart, honest, honorable, fair-minded and had a great sense of humor. He was a law-and-order guy, a great leader and mentor, and always hoped for the best for the defendants he prosecuted,” Warren said. “His passing is a huge blow to the entire federal community in San Diego.”
Haden was from San Diego and a graduate of University City High School and Stanford University. He earned his law degree from the University of San Diego. He served as an officer in the Navy for five years before joining the U.S. Attorney’s Office in 2010. Over the years, he rose to leadership positions in the office, including the No. 2 role under then-U.S. Attorney Randy Grossman in 2022.
When Grossman stepped down in August 2023, Haden took over as acting U.S. attorney and served in that role for about two months until President Joe Biden’s nominee, Tara McGrath, was sworn in. Haden again took over as acting U.S. attorney for about two months in early 2025 between the time the Trump administration fired McGrath and appointed Gordon.
When Gordon took over in April 2025, he reshuffled its leadership structure, as incoming U.S. attorneys often do. That meant Haden no longer held a leadership role. He most recently worked in the office’s appellate division.
In 2024, the San Diego chapter of the Federal Bar Association selected Haden for its Peter J. Mazza Outstanding Federal Lawyer Award, which recognizes exceptional dedication to public service. A former colleague said it was a particularly poignant recognition for Haden, given that he and his wife had stepped in to support Mazza’s young family after his death from cancer in 2020 at age 42.
Kelly Reis, president of the local chapter of the Federal Bar Association, said in a statement Thursday that Haden “embodied the very best of the federal legal profession,” and that his loss is profound.
“The San Diego federal legal community has lost an extraordinary lawyer, leader, mentor, and friend,” Reis said, in part. “As a prosecutor and leader in the U.S. Attorney’s Office, he served with skill, judgment, and integrity.”
“He was a mentor who made time for others, a colleague who would quietly go the extra mile, and a friend whose humor and empathy put people at ease,” Reis said.
In his email to staff Thursday morning, Gordon offered grief counseling and told his office’s employees to go home or gather with others from the office to comfort each other.
“Be with your family and friends as you grieve,” the U.S. attorney wrote. “We want to give everyone space to grieve in their own way. We are considering the office closed for today and tomorrow.” Gordon said he had also alerted the courts that his office would try to minimize all court appearances Thursday and Friday.
Staff writer Teri Figueroa contributed to this report.