Florida man convicted in murder-for-hire plot on wife's ex-husband
Mario Fernandez Saldana was convicted of first-degree murder in the 2022 killing of Microsoft design manager Jared Bridegan and faces a mandatory life sentence. (Credit: Getty Images)
A Florida man accused of arranging the fatal shooting of Microsoft design manager Jared Bridegan was convicted Wednesday in a murder-for-hire scheme prosecutors said stemmed from a prolonged child-custody dispute between Bridegan and his ex-wife.
Florida man convicted in murder-for-hire plot
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Mario Fernandez Saldana, 38, was found guilty of first-degree murder and solicitation to commit a capital felony in Duval County court. Because of the first-degree murder conviction, he faces a mandatory life sentence.
Prosecutors said Fernandez Saldana arranged for Henry Tenon, a former tenant at his Jacksonville rental property, to ambush and kill Bridegan in February 2022.
Bridegan, 33, was driving in Jacksonville Beach after returning his young twins to their mother's home when he encountered a tire deliberately placed in the road. He stopped his Volkswagen Atlas and got out to move it. Prosecutors say four shots were then fired, two of which struck Bridegan. They allege Tenon was the shooter.
Bridegan's young daughter was sitting in the vehicle during the attack. She was not injured.
Police initially struggled to identify motive
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The killing initially baffled investigators. Bridegan, a father of four and Microsoft design manager, had no obvious enemies, and police struggled for months to identify a motive.
Prosecutors eventually focused on the increasingly hostile relationship between Bridegan and his former wife, Shanna Gardner, over custody and parenting of their twins.
What they're saying:
"They wanted a majority of the decision making. They wanted more custody, even 60-40," Assistant State Attorney Christina Stifler said during closing arguments on Tuesday.
"It doesn’t matter if they were completely right about the situation or completely wrong. What matters is how they fixed it," Stifler said. "They fixed it by executing a man when they had other alternatives available to them. That’s why we’re here."
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Investigators later identified Tenon's DNA on the rim of the tire that had been placed in the road, authorities said.
Jurors also saw three checks totaling $10,000 written to Tenon after the homicide. The memos referenced handyman work and a business idea, including one that read, "good luck!!"
What's next:
Gardner’s trial is scheduled to begin with jury selection Aug. 31. Tenon’s trial is scheduled for 2027. Fernandez Saldana and Gardner are estranged.
The Source: This story was reported from Los Angeles. The Associated Press contributed.