Microsoft Manager's Murder-for-Hire Conviction Linked to Bitter Custody Dispute

Mario Fernandez Saldana, 38, has been convicted of first-degree murder and solicitation of murder in connection with the fatal shooting of Jared Bridegan, a Microsoft design manager.

The killing occurred on February 16, 2022, when Bridegan was shot twice after getting out of his SUV to remove a tire from a road in Jacksonville Beach, Florida. He had just returned two children to his ex-wife's home after a meal with their twins.

Prosecutors believe the motive for the murder was Bridegan's ongoing custody dispute with his wealthy ex-wife, Shanna Gardner, who is married to Fernandez Saldana. They argued that he wanted more control over the twins and had 'other alternatives available' to him instead of resorting to violence.