Microsoft Manager's Ex-Wife's Husband Convicted in Murder-for-Hire Killing

Mario Fernandez Saldana, 38, has been convicted of first-degree murder and solicitation of murder for his role in the killing of Jared Bridegan, a Microsoft design manager who was shot on a Florida road in 2022.

Prosecutors believe that Fernandez Saldana hired Henry Tenon to carry out the ambush because of ongoing strife between Bridegan and his ex-wife, Shanna Gardner, over the parenting of their twins. The trial revealed that Gardner had written checks totaling $10,000 to Tenon after the homicide, marked as payments for handyman work and a business idea.

Fernandez Saldana's defense attorney argued that he had no motive to have Bridegan killed, but prosecutors presented evidence showing that the two men were connected through their relationship with Gardner. The jury found Fernandez Saldana guilty of first-degree murder and solicitation of murder, and he faces an automatic sentence of life in prison.

The case has been marked by a complex web of relationships and motives, including the fact that Gardner is the daughter of the co-founder of Stampin' Up!, an arts-and-crafts company based in Utah. Bridegan's wife, Kirsten, testified that the post-divorce relationship between her husband and Gardner was 'pretty terrible', with 'absolutely no trust'. She said it interfered with their children's medical appointments and even routine meetings at school.