Haden, 48, was discovered Wednesday night, August 19, inside a vacant office at the Edward J. Schwartz Federal Building at 880 Front Street in downtown San Diego, which houses the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Southern District of California. San Diego Police said officers were initially contacted late Wednesday evening regarding a man who was potentially missing. A short time later, Haden was found deceased by law enforcement inside the building.
“Out of an abundance of caution, SDPD investigators responded to the scene, and no foul play is suspected,” police spokesperson Ashley Nichols said. “The official cause and manner of death will be determined by the Medical Examiner.”
The San Diego County Medical Examiner's Office has confirmed it is investigating Haden's death but has not publicly announced a cause or manner of death.
The San Diego Union-Tribune, citing an unnamed person familiar with the situation, reported that Haden is suspected of having taken his own life. That has not been confirmed by police or the Medical Examiner, and U.S. Attorney Adam Gordon declined to disclose additional circumstances surrounding Haden's death out of respect for his family.
Haden leaves behind a wife and two school-aged children.
“This is one of the darkest days in our office's history, but there was nothing dark about Andrew Haden's life,” 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.”
Gordon reportedly gathered employees for an all-hands meeting Thursday before informing the office by email that Haden had been reported missing and later found dead.
“He was the best of us, and only ever wanted the best for us,” Gordon wrote in the message, according to the Union-Tribune.
The loss was so significant to the office that Gordon effectively closed it for Thursday and Friday, encouraged employees to spend time with family, friends and colleagues and offered grief counseling. Federal courts were also notified that prosecutors would attempt to minimize court appearances during the two-day period.
Haden was deeply rooted in San Diego. A graduate of University City High School, he earned a bachelor's degree from Stanford University before serving five years as an officer in the U.S. Navy, including overseas deployments. He later earned his law degree from the University of San Diego and also taught law as an adjunct professor.
Haden joined the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Southern District of California in 2010 and rose through its ranks during a career that included some of the office's most consequential criminal prosecutions. His leadership positions included First Assistant U.S. Attorney, Criminal Division chief, chief of the Violent Crimes and Human Trafficking Section, Senior Litigation Counsel and Project Safe Neighborhoods Coordinator.
His work involved violent crime, human trafficking, organized crime, public corruption, firearms trafficking, narcotics and child exploitation. Among his prominent cases was the federal prosecution involving former San Diego County Sheriff's Capt. Marco Garmo and jeweler Leo Hamel. Garmo ultimately pleaded guilty to illegally trafficking firearms and admitted using his law-enforcement position to facilitate gun sales. Haden was one of the federal prosecutors handling the case.
Defense attorney Jeremy Warren, who opposed Haden during the heavily contested prosecution, told the Union-Tribune that they nevertheless remained friends.
“He embodied everything we hope to see in a prosecutor — he was smart, honest, honorable, fair-minded and had a great sense of humor,” Warren said, calling Haden's death “a huge blow to the entire federal community in San Diego.”
Haden twice rose to the top position in one of the nation's busiest federal judicial districts. He first became acting U.S. Attorney in August 2023 following the departure of Randy Grossman, serving until Tara McGrath was sworn in as President Joe Biden's appointed U.S. Attorney later that year. Haden again became acting U.S. Attorney in February 2025 after the Trump administration removed McGrath. He led the office for approximately two months until Adam Gordon assumed the position in April.
During that second tenure, Haden oversaw prosecutions involving violent street gangs, international drug trafficking organizations and cross-border crime. In one case, he announced the conviction of a defendant for the kidnapping, torture and murder of an American citizen in Tijuana, emphasizing the government's commitment to pursuing violence against U.S. citizens even when committed across the border. After Gordon took office and reorganized the U.S. Attorney's Office's leadership, Haden returned to a non-management role and most recently worked in the appellate division.
His standing within San Diego's federal legal community extended well beyond the prosecutor's office. In 2024, the San Diego Chapter of the Federal Bar Association selected Haden to receive its Peter J. Mazza Outstanding Federal Lawyer Award, recognizing exceptional dedication to public service.
The honor carried particular significance. According to the Union-Tribune, Haden and his wife had helped support the young family of Peter Mazza, a respected San Diego federal prosecutor who died from cancer in 2020 at just 42 years old.
Federal Bar Association San Diego Chapter President Kelly Reis said Haden “embodied the very best of the federal legal profession.”
“The San Diego federal legal community has lost an extraordinary lawyer, leader, mentor, and friend,” Reis said.
Southern District of California Chief Judge Cynthia Bashant similarly described the news as devastating.
“This tragedy is a loss for everyone: his family, the court family and the legal community,” Bashant told the Union-Tribune. “He was well loved and well respected. Frankly, words fail me.”
Haden's death comes after a career devoted largely to public service, beginning in the Navy and continuing through more than a decade and a half as a federal prosecutor in his hometown.
The circumstances surrounding his death remain under investigation. Police have said they do not suspect foul play, while the San Diego County Medical Examiner will make the official determination regarding cause and manner of death.
Originally published on August 20, 2026.
“He embodied everything we hope to see in a prosecutor — he was smart, honest, honorable, fair-minded and had a great sense of humor,” Warren said, calling Haden's death “a huge blow to the entire federal community in San Diego.”
Haden twice rose to the top position in one of the nation's busiest federal judicial districts. He first became acting U.S. Attorney in August 2023 following the departure of Randy Grossman, serving until Tara McGrath was sworn in as President Joe Biden's appointed U.S. Attorney later that year. Haden again became acting U.S. Attorney in February 2025 after the Trump administration removed McGrath. He led the office for approximately two months until Adam Gordon assumed the position in April.
During that second tenure, Haden oversaw prosecutions involving violent street gangs, international drug trafficking organizations and cross-border crime. In one case, he announced the conviction of a defendant for the kidnapping, torture and murder of an American citizen in Tijuana, emphasizing the government's commitment to pursuing violence against U.S. citizens even when committed across the border. After Gordon took office and reorganized the U.S. Attorney's Office's leadership, Haden returned to a non-management role and most recently worked in the appellate division.
His standing within San Diego's federal legal community extended well beyond the prosecutor's office. In 2024, the San Diego Chapter of the Federal Bar Association selected Haden to receive its Peter J. Mazza Outstanding Federal Lawyer Award, recognizing exceptional dedication to public service.
The honor carried particular significance. According to the Union-Tribune, Haden and his wife had helped support the young family of Peter Mazza, a respected San Diego federal prosecutor who died from cancer in 2020 at just 42 years old.
Federal Bar Association San Diego Chapter President Kelly Reis said Haden “embodied the very best of the federal legal profession.”
“The San Diego federal legal community has lost an extraordinary lawyer, leader, mentor, and friend,” Reis said.
Southern District of California Chief Judge Cynthia Bashant similarly described the news as devastating.
“This tragedy is a loss for everyone: his family, the court family and the legal community,” Bashant told the Union-Tribune. “He was well loved and well respected. Frankly, words fail me.”
Haden's death comes after a career devoted largely to public service, beginning in the Navy and continuing through more than a decade and a half as a federal prosecutor in his hometown.
The circumstances surrounding his death remain under investigation. Police have said they do not suspect foul play, while the San Diego County Medical Examiner will make the official determination regarding cause and manner of death.
Originally published on August 20, 2026.
