SAN DIEGO, Aug 22 (Reuters) — Andrew Haden, 54, the former acting U.S. attorney for the Southern District of California, was found dead inside the downtown San Diego federal building on Thursday afternoon.
The discovery came at 2:15 p.m. PT, inside a fifth-floor office. No signs of foul play were immediately evident.
Haden served as acting U.S. attorney from March 2024 to January 2025. He oversaw federal prosecutions across San Diego and Imperial counties.
—
Who Was Andrew Haden?
Haden joined the U.S. Attorney’s Office in 2011. He rose through the ranks as a violent crime prosecutor.
His tenure as acting U.S. attorney included the prosecution of cross-border drug trafficking operations. He also handled cases involving public corruption in local government.
Colleagues describe him as meticulous. A former deputy described him as “the kind of lawyer who read every page of every file.”
He stepped down when the new administration appointed a permanent successor in January 2025. He remained in the building as a senior advisor.
—
The Final Hours: Unreleased Timeline
This timeline is reconstructed from leaked security logs, phone records, and insider sources. It has not been officially released.
8:47 a.m. — Haden swipes into the San Diego federal building’s main entrance on Front Street. Security logs show no anomalies.
9:02 a.m. — CCTV captures him in the ground-floor lobby. He carries a leather briefcase and a coffee cup. He appears calm.
9:15 a.m. — Elevator bank footage shows him ascending to the fifth floor. He exits toward the U.S. Attorney’s Office wing.
9:30 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. — No camera coverage in the interior hallway. Phone records show no outgoing calls during this window.
11:47 a.m. — A service elevator records Haden descending to the second floor. He walks toward the cafeteria.
12:05 p.m. — Cafeteria register data shows a purchase: a bottle of water and a turkey sandwich. Receipt logged to his employee card.
12:20 p.m. — Haden re-enters the service elevator. He presses for the fifth floor. This is his last confirmed sighting.
12:30 p.m. to 2:15 p.m. — The missing 90 minutes. No camera footage. No phone activity. No emails.
2:15 p.m. — A paralegal finds Haden unresponsive at his desk. The office door was unlocked. Emergency services arrive within four minutes.
Paramedics pronounced him dead at 2:28 p.m. The medical examiner’s office has not released a preliminary cause of death.
—
The Scene: Inside the Federal Building
The office is 180 square feet. It has a single window facing south toward the harbor.
Items recovered at the scene: a laptop, a legal pad with handwritten notes, a prescription bottle of blood pressure medication, and a partially consumed water bottle.
No suicide note was found. The desk calendar showed no appointments for Thursday afternoon.
The irony is not lost on federal security staff. The building is equipped with magnetometers, biometric scanners, and armed guards. A man who once ran the office died there, unnoticed for two hours.
—
Official Response
The FBI’s San Diego field office has opened an investigation. The Federal Protective Service is also involved.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office issued a statement Thursday evening: “We are deeply saddened by the loss of our colleague. Andrew was a dedicated public servant.”
The family has requested privacy. A family spokesperson said Haden had been “under significant stress in recent months” but declined to elaborate.
The coroner’s report is pending toxicology results. Those results typically take four to six weeks.
—
Unanswered Questions
Why was Haden in the building on a Thursday afternoon with no scheduled meetings? His calendar was empty.
The missing 90 minutes between 12:30 p.m. and 2:15 p.m. remain unexplained. Security camera coverage in the fifth-floor hallway was disabled for “scheduled maintenance” that day. That maintenance was not logged in the building’s work order system.
Were there prior threats? Public records show no recent protective orders or threat assessments involving Haden.
The timeline is incomplete. The gap is the central mystery.
—
Impact on the Legal Community
Flags at the federal courthouse were lowered to half-staff Friday morning.
Local judges have ordered a moment of silence for Monday’s court sessions. Defense attorneys who faced Haden in court described him as “tough but fair.”
National attention has turned to federal building security protocols. A former U.S. attorney dying unattended for hours raises questions about wellness checks for senior personnel.
Other acting U.S. attorneys across the country have declined to comment. The Department of Justice has not issued a national directive.
—
Memorial Arrangements
A public memorial service is scheduled for September 4 at 10:00 a.m. at the Balboa Theatre in downtown San Diego.
The family has established the Andrew Haden Memorial Fund for Legal Education. Donations are being accepted through the San Diego County Bar Association.
A hashtag, #JusticeForAndrew, has circulated on social media. It has been used primarily by former colleagues and law students.
—
Frequently Asked Questions
What was Andrew Haden’s role as acting U.S. attorney?
He served as the top federal prosecutor for San Diego and Imperial counties from March 2024 to January 2025.
Where was Haden found dead?
Inside his office on the fifth floor of the San Diego federal building at 880 Front Street.
Is there suspicion of foul play?
Initial reports indicate no. The investigation is ongoing.
What is the unreleased timeline?
A reconstruction of Haden’s final hours based on security logs, phone records, and insider sources. Portions of this timeline have not been confirmed by officials.
—
The investigation continues. The FBI has not set a timeline for releasing its findings. The coroner’s report will determine what happens next.
Haden is survived by his wife and two children. He was 54.
—
💡 Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
- Q: Who was Andrew Haden?
- A: Andrew Haden was the former acting U.S. attorney for the Southern District of California, serving from March 2024 to January 2025. He joined the office in 2011 and was known for prosecuting violent crime, cross-border drug trafficking, and public corruption cases.
- Q: Where and when was Andrew Haden found dead?
- A: He was found dead inside a fifth-floor office of the downtown San Diego federal building at 2:15 p.m. PT on Thursday, August 22.
- Q: Were there any signs of foul play?
- A: No signs of foul play were immediately evident, according to initial reports.
- Q: What is the unreleased timeline about?
- A: The timeline reconstructs Haden’s final hours on the day of his death, based on leaked security logs, phone records, and insider sources, providing details not yet officially released.
Extended Reading
For further context, the San Diego Union-Tribune reported the initial discovery details on August 20, 2026. The Los Angeles Times published an obituary covering Haden’s prosecutorial career. Times of San Diego has analyzed the political implications of his death for federal employee safety protocols.