Florida Jury Deliberates in Murder-for-Hire Killing of Microsoft Manager
A Florida jury began deliberations in the alleged murder-for-hire killing of Jared Bridegan, a Microsoft design manager who was gunned down four years ago. Bridegan was shot twice after he got out of his SUV to remove a tire from a road in Jacksonville Beach while his daughter sat nearby in her car seat.
Prosecutors believe he was killed over a longstanding joint custody dispute with his ex-wife and other parenting issues involving their twins. Assistant State Attorney Christina Stifler said during closing arguments that Bridegan was unarmed, unaware, exposed, vulnerable, and couldn't have known the architects of his murder had been making preparations for his death for months.
Mario Fernandez Saldana, 38, is charged with first-degree murder and solicitation of murder. He's married to Bridegan's former wife, Shanna Gardner, whose trial is set to start in September. Defense attorney Jesse Dreicer told jurors that Fernandez Saldana had no motive to have Bridegan killed.
The alleged gunman, Henry Tenon, had no personal connection to Bridegan but was a former tenant at Fernandez Saldana's rental property in Jacksonville. Jurors saw three checks totaling $10,000 written to Tenon after the homicide, marked as payments for handyman work and a business idea.