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Prosecutors Tie $10,000 Rental Payments to Wife’s Killer Trial

8/19/2026

31 3 Full Breakdown

Summary

Fernandez Trial

Mario Fernandez Saldana is on trial for murder and solicitation in the Feb. 16, 2022 killing of Jared Bridegan (33) in Jacksonville Beach.
Prosecutors say Fernandez paid tenant Henry Tenon $10,000 from First Choice Home Rentals LLC and that Tenon’s DNA matched a tire at the scene.
GPS records placed Tenon on the route on Jan. 5 and Jan. 29, 2022, while Judge London Kite kept jurors’ names confidential for 60 days.

Summary

Saldana Trial

In 2026 Mario Fernandez Saldana became the first of three defendants to stand trial for the 2022 killing.
He was arrested in 2023 after moving to Orlando following the 2022 killing.
He married Shanna Gardner in April 2018 and became trustee of her parents’ irrevocable trust that owned First Choice Home Rentals LLC.
Saldana received a less-than-honorable discharge after a 2018 sexual-assault allegation was dropped.

History

Historical Context

The 1995 O.J. Simpson trial in Los Angeles County Superior Court, lasting from January 24 to October 3, introduced 108 DNA exhibits that sparked public debate over forensic reliability. Today, Jacksonville Beach prosecutors rely on DNA matching Henry Tenon’s sample and a $10,000 payment from First Choice Home Rentals to build their 2022 murder case against Mario Fernandez Saldana, echoing the earlier forensic-focused precedent.

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Fernandez Trial

Mario Fernandez Saldana is on trial for murder and solicitation in the Feb. 16, 2022 killing of Jared Bridegan (33) in Jacksonville Beach.
Prosecutors say Fernandez paid tenant Henry Tenon $10,000 from First Choice Home Rentals LLC and that Tenon’s DNA matched a tire at the scene.
GPS records placed Tenon on the route on Jan. 5 and Jan. 29, 2022, while Judge London Kite kept jurors’ names confidential for 60 days.

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