Florida Jury Finds Husband Guilty of Executing Microsoft Executive

A Florida jury has found Mario Fernandez Saldana guilty of first-degree murder and solicitation to commit a capital felony in the death of Microsoft executive Jared Bridegan.

The verdict was delivered on August 26, 2026, after nearly four hours of deliberation. Fernandez's wife, Shanna Gardner, who was formerly married to Bridegan and had two children with him, faces the same charges.

Prosecutors alleged that Fernandez paid one of his tenants, Henry Tenon, to be the hit man in a plot to kill Bridegan. They presented evidence showing that Fernandez made payments totaling thousands of dollars to Tenon by check, with memos reading 'Keeping up with the roof' and 'Kickstarter, good luck!'

Fernandez did not take the stand during his trial, but his defense team called two witnesses who testified that he was an active participant in his stepchildren's lives. Under Florida law, first-degree murder is punishable by life in prison without parole.