Microsoft Exec's Killer Trial Begins, Ex-Husband Accused

The trial of Mario Fernandez Saldana began Monday in Jacksonville, Florida. He is accused of hiring hitman Henry Tenon to kill Microsoft design manager Jared Bridegan in front of his children. The murder occurred on February 16, 2022, when Bridegan was shot and killed as he drove home with his then-2-year-old daughter Bexley.

Prosecutors described the killing as a 'targeted ambush' that followed years of conflict between Bridegan and his ex-wife Shanna Gardner over their divorce and how to raise their twin children, Abby and Liam. According to Assistant State Attorney Christina Simak Stifler, the murder was personal and the killer was a stranger to Bridegan.

Stifler outlined the tension between Bridegan and Gardner, who divorced in 2015. The two had disagreements over religion, medical appointments, and school conferences. Bridegan later remarried and had two more children with Kirsten Bridegan.