Andrew Haden, a 48-year-old acting US attorney and Navy veteran, was found dead inside a San Diego federal building after being reported missing, with sources saying he took his own life by hanging.
A caller contacted San Diego police late Wednesday evening to report Haden as potentially missing. Officers responded to the Edward J. Schwartz Federal Building at 880 Front Street in downtown San Diego and discovered Haden's body inside an office a short time later. Sources familiar with the case told The California Post that Haden died by hanging. The San Diego County medical examiner has not yet issued an official ruling on cause and manner of death.
San Diego Police Sergeant Saum Poorsaleh confirmed that investigators responded to the scene and said no foul play is suspected. The investigation remains open.
Haden had served as a federal prosecutor in the Southern District of California since 2010, joining the US attorney's office after clerking for US District Judge Thomas J. Whelan. He twice served as acting US attorney for the district, once for roughly two months in 2023 and again for roughly two months in 2025, both times during leadership transitions. Breitbart reported that the White House had been alerted to Haden's death and that he had conducted more than two dozen jury trials over his career, handling cases involving violent crime, drug trafficking, and child exploitation.
His death sent a wave of grief through the federal legal community in San Diego.
Southern District US Attorney Adam Gordon addressed his staff Thursday morning, holding a meeting and sending an office-wide email to inform colleagues of Haden's death. Gordon's public statement made clear the weight of the loss.
Gordon said it was "one of the darkest days in our office's history, but there was nothing dark about Andrew Haden's life." He continued:
"[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."
Chief Judge Cynthia Bashant of the Southern District of California called the news "a loss for everyone" and described Haden as "well loved and well respected."
Defense attorney Jeremy Warren, who had faced Haden across the courtroom, offered a tribute that spoke to the man's character beyond his professional role. Warren called Haden's death "a huge blow to the entire federal community in San Diego."
"The fact that we remained friends throughout is a testament to the type of guy he was."
The sudden death of a prominent federal official naturally draws national attention, much as the unexpected loss of Senator Lindsey Graham forced Washington to confront institutional gaps left behind when key figures vanish without warning.
Haden was a San Diego native. He grew up in the city and graduated from University City High School before heading north to Stanford University, where he earned a bachelor's degree in political science. After Stanford, he spent five years in the Navy and deployed overseas twice.
He returned to San Diego for law school at the University of San Diego, then clerked for Judge Whelan before joining the US attorney's office in 2010. Over the next decade and a half, he built a career prosecuting federal cases in the district where he had grown up.
Scott C. Carr, executive director of the San Diego County Bar Association, described the legal community as "devastated" and remembered Haden as a supportive boss and friendly colleague who "always" had a kind word. Carr wrote on LinkedIn following the death:
"Our legal community lost a good one."
Notable deaths within the legal and political world have drawn sustained public attention in recent months. The passing of Johnny Brown, the longtime Miami-Dade attorney and father of Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson, reminded the country how deeply personal losses ripple through professional institutions.
Several details surrounding Haden's death remain unclear. The identity of the caller who reported him missing Wednesday evening has not been disclosed, whether it was a family member, colleague, or someone else. It is also unclear whether Haden was still serving in an acting capacity at the time of his death or had returned to a line prosecutor role after his 2025 stint.
The sources who told The California Post that Haden died by hanging have not been identified by role, whether they are law enforcement, medical, or otherwise connected to the case. The official cause and manner of death will rest with the San Diego County medical examiner, whose determination is still pending.
Police have said no foul play is suspected, but the investigation remains formally open. Sergeant Poorsaleh's statement was brief and careful:
"Out of an abundance of caution, SDPD investigators responded to the scene, and no foul play is suspected."
The federal legal community has faced a string of high-profile cases in recent months that have tested public confidence in the justice system, from the guilty plea of Luigi Mangione in the shooting of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson to ongoing debates over the death penalty in the Charlie Kirk killing case. Haden's death adds a different kind of weight, not a case to be prosecuted, but a prosecutor lost.
Andrew Haden spent his career holding others accountable in a system that depends on people willing to do hard, often thankless work. The people who knew him best say the community is worse off without him. That ought to be enough to make anyone pause.
If you or someone you know is struggling, contact the 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline by calling or texting 988.
