A Florida jury has found Mario Fernandez Saldana guilty of the ambush murder of Microsoft executive Jared Bridegan. The verdict, reached on Wednesday, includes charges of first-degree murder and solicitation to commit a capital felony. The incident occurred in February 2022 in Jacksonville Beach.
Investigators revealed that Bridegan, age 33, was killed at close range after he stopped his car on a dark road to remove a tire. This delay led to his untimely death. During the shooting, Bridegan’s two-year-old daughter was in the back seat, though she was unharmed.
Prosecutors contended that the murder was a calculated act, rooted in a contentious custody battle involving Bridegan’s ex-wife, Shanna Gardner, and her husband, Fernandez Saldana. They accused the couple of enlisting Henry Tenon as the gunman to execute the plot. Although Tenon initially pleaded guilty, he later retracted his plea.
Fernandez Saldana’s arrest took place in March 2023, followed by Gardner’s detention in August. Both face identical charges related to Bridegan’s killing. A judge has mandated separate trials, with distinct juries, for Gardner and Fernandez Saldana.
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