Former acting U.S. Attorney Andrew Haden was found dead this week inside the Edward J. Schwartz Federal Building in downtown San Diego, hours 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.
The San Diego County Medical Examiner's Office will determine the official cause and manner of death.
Haden, 48, 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 last year.
Chief U.S. District Judge Cynthia Bashant described Haden as well- loved and highly respected, saying his death is a loss for the entire community. Defense attorney Jeremy Warren, who frequently opposed Haden in court, said they remained friends outside of work. Warren called their friendship a reflection of Haden's character and said his passing is a major loss for San Diego's federal legal community.
U.S. Attorney Adam Gordon met with employees Thursday to inform them of Haden's death, describing the loss as one of the darkest days in the office's history. He did not provide further details regarding the death.
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, he 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.
