Mario Fernandez Saldana was found guilty of first-degree murder and solicitation to commit a capital felony in the 2022 execution style death of Jared Bridegan
Credit: Jacksonville Beach Police Department (2)
NEED TO KNOW
- Mario Fernandez Saldana, 38, was convicted of first-degree murder and solicitation to commit a capital felony in connection with the 2022 death of Jared Bridegan
- Bridegan was fatally shot on Feb. 16, 2022, after he got out of his Volkswagen Atlas to remove a tire that prosecutors allege had been deliberately placed in the middle of the road
- “Nothing about today can restore what was taken from this family or ease the pain they have endured now for many years, but today there is accountability,” 4th Judicial Circuit State Attorney Melissa Nelson said after the verdict
A Florida man accused of hiring his tenant to murder his wife’s ex-husband in a murder-for-hire plot was found guilty Wednesday, Aug. 26.
A Duval County jury deliberated for about four hours before finding Mario Fernandez Saldana, 38, guilty of first-degree murder and solicitation to commit a capital felony in connection with the 2022 execution-style death of father of four Jared Bridegan.
“Nothing about today can restore what was taken from this family or ease the pain they have endured now for many years, but today there is accountability,” 4th Judicial Circuit State Attorney Melissa Nelson said after the verdict, First Coast News reported. “Today’s verdict is the result of extraordinary work by extraordinary people. For more than four years, detectives, prosecutors, victim advocates, crime analysts, support staff and countless others have devoted their time, talent and determination to seeking justice for Jared and his family. Today, a jury spoke, and today, justice in part, the beginning, was done for Jared Bridegan.”
Bridegan, 33, was shot twice on Feb. 16, 2022, after he got out of his Volkswagen Atlas to remove a tire that prosecutors allege had been deliberately placed in the middle of a road in Jacksonville Beach.
The Microsoft manager had just dropped his twins off at the home of his ex-wife Shanna Gardner. His 2-year-old daughter and his new wife Kirsten were inside the car at the time of his killing.
Want to keep up with the latest crime coverage? Sign up for PEOPLE‘s free True Crime newsletter for breaking crime news, ongoing trial coverage and details of intriguing unsolved cases.
Credit: Derek Shook / BACKGRID
Prosecutors allege Fernandez Saldana and Gardner conspired to kill Bridegan over ongoing custody and parenting disputes, and that Fernandez Saldana allegedly hired his tenant, Henry Tenon, to carry out the murder.
“Gardner, who has a family trust fund, was only able to become the trustee after all ‘legal entanglements’ with Bridegan were finished,” according to a state attorney’s office news release. “Fernandez Saldana solicited Tenon, who was evicted and had no money in his accounts, to kill Bridegan in order to solve his and his wife’s custody issues and for Gardner to become the trustee of her trust fund.”
According to prosecutors, Fernandez Saldana paid Tenon at least $10,000 after the killing.
During closing arguments, Assistant State Attorney Christina Stifler said Bridegan was “unarmed, unaware, exposed, vulnerable. He couldn’t have known, on that cold asphalt in February of 2022, the architects of his murder had been making preparations for his death for months,” NBC News reported.
Tenon was the first of the three to be arrested in connection with the ambush killing plot. According to prosecutors, he owned the blue Ford F-150 used in the crime and his DNA was found on the tire in the road.
Initially, Tenon confessed to being the gunman, but withdrew his confession and pleaded not guilty in February 2026. His trial is scheduled to start in March 2027.
Credit: Jacksonville Beach Police Department
Gardner was arrested in August 2023 and is charged with first-degree murder and conspiracy to commit murder. Opening statements in her trial are scheduled to begin on Sept. 8, 2026.
Bridegan’s widow, Kirsten, thanked law enforcement and the public for calling in tips and praying for her family.
“Never in my life did I think I would be in this situation, but I know we wouldn’t have gotten this verdict today had we not had all of these people lined up to help us,” she said, per First Coast News. “When this initially started, I felt like I was alone. I quickly realized that that was not true. Truth was seen in that courtroom. The jury saw that truth and they acted accordingly. And because of that, Mario Fernandez is a murderer, and he will be put away for the rest of his life as he deserves, and I’m grateful for that. Truth won today, justice has been served in part, and we look forward to the rest of justice being served as we continue through this process.”
Read the full article here
