Murder of Jared Bridegan: Alleged Murder-for-Hire Plot Unfolds

On a warm February evening in 2022, Jared Bridegan, a 33-year-old Microsoft executive, was shot dead after stopping to move a tire on a residential street in Jacksonville Beach, Florida. Multiple bullets struck his vehicle, one landing inches from his 2-year-old daughter, who remained unharmed in her car seat. Police recovered the shooter’s shell casings and found Bridegan’s personal items untouched, indicating no robbery motive.

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Bridegan’s ex-wife, Shanna Gardner, had been engaged in a contentious custody battle over their twins for several years. Prosecutors allege Gardner, frustrated by the “non-amicable” divorce, conspired with her husband, Mario Fernandez Saldana, to eliminate Bridegan.

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In early 2023, investigators arrested 62-year-old Henry Tenon, a tenant of Fernandez Saldana, charging him with conspiracy to commit murder, second-degree murder with a weapon, accessory after the fact to a capital felony, and child abuse. Tenon initially pleaded guilty to second-degree murder in March 2023 under a deal that required his testimony against Fernandez Saldana and Gardner. In January 2025, Tenon recanted, claiming his testimony was false; a judge allowed him to withdraw his plea and face trial in March 2027.

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Prosecutors disclosed that Fernandez Saldana wrote three checks to Tenon in October 2022 and that phone records show more than 60 contacts between the two men. GPS data indicated Tenon made two “practice runs” of Bridegan’s usual route prior to the killing. Fernandez Saldana, arrested in Orlando in March 2023 on first-degree murder and solicitation charges, has pleaded not guilty. His attorney argues the evidence is insufficient and that Tenon’s confession was coerced. Gardner was indicted by a grand jury on first-degree murder and related charges; she has also pleaded not guilty, with her trial slated for early September.

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• “Our investigation has revealed a single link between Jared Bridegan and Henry Tenon,” — Melissa Nelson, month state attorney

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• “This investigation has uncovered the truth of Jared’s murder. Henry Tenon did not act alone. Mario Fernandez did not plan alone,” — Melissa Nelson, month state attorney

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