Andrew Haden’s death inside a San Diego federal building has sent a jolt through the city’s legal community. The former acting U.S. attorney, remembered by colleagues as steady and warm, was found Wednesday in the Edward J. Schwartz Federal Building, where the prosecutor’s office is based.
Police said they responded after Haden had been reported missing. The San Diego Police Department said investigators came to the scene out of caution, and no foul play is suspected.
Haden was 48 and had spent much of his career in the Southern District of California. He joined the U.S. attorney’s office in 2010 and stayed there for 16 years, building a reputation as a familiar presence in one of the region’s most important federal law offices.
His career moved into sharper focus in 2023 and again in 2025 when he was chosen to serve as acting U.S. attorney during vacancies. He also led the office after President Donald Trump selected him following the firing of U.S. Attorney Tara McGrath, a Biden appointee.
Those who worked alongside him say the loss is hitting hard. Southern District of California U.S. Attorney Adam Gordon said the office was dealing with “one of the darkest days” in its history, while making clear that Haden’s own life was anything but dark.
“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 reaction from the broader legal community has been just as emotional. Scott C. Carr, executive director of the San Diego County Bar Association, said he was devastated and remembered a recent conversation during the government shutdown, when Haden was focused on how to help employees in his office get through the pressure.
Carr described Haden as someone who always had a kind word ready, which made the news even harder to take in. “Andrew was always friendly with a kind word to say, which makes news of his passing all the more difficult,” Carr wrote. “My thoughts are with his family and his colleagues at the Southern District of California. Our legal community lost a good one.”
Haden’s background added another layer to the respect he earned. A Navy veteran with two overseas deployments, he later earned his law degree from the University of San Diego and went on to spend years inside the federal justice system.
Even attorneys who faced him in court are speaking with admiration. Defense attorney Jeremy Warren, who had battled Haden in prior cases, called the death “a huge blow to the entire federal community in San Diego.”
Warren also said their friendship lasted despite their courtroom clashes, which he saw as proof of Haden’s character. That kind of sentiment has been echoed across the city, where colleagues are now left with memories of a prosecutor who seemed to carry both toughness and decency at the same time.
