Florida Jury Finds Ex-In-Law Guilty of Murdering Microsoft Manager

A Florida jury has found Mario Fernandez Saldana guilty of first-degree murder and solicitation in connection with the fatal shooting of Jared Bridegan, a Microsoft manager.

Bridegan, 33, was killed on February 16, 2022, while returning home from dropping off his twins at his ex-wife's house. He was shot execution-style after getting out of his vehicle to move a tire in the road, with his 2-year-old daughter present.

Fernandez Saldana, who was married to Bridegan's ex-wife Shanna Gardner at the time of the killing, is one of three people charged with the murder. Prosecutors allege that he and Gardner were involved in a 'murder-for-hire' plot, which followed years of animosity and a high-conflict custody dispute over their twins.

Fernandez Saldana's defense attorney argued that there was no motive for him to kill Bridegan and no evidence connecting him to the crime. However, prosecutors presented evidence showing that Fernandez Saldana had solicited the shooter, Henry Tenon, and provided him with at least $10,000 after the killing.

Tenon is set to go on trial next year, while Gardner has pleaded not guilty and will face a separate trial in September. Bridegan's widow testified that the co-parenting relationship between the two couples was 'pretty terrible' and 'very tense.'