Murder-For-Hire Conviction Rocks Jacksonville Beach Community

A man has been convicted of arranging the fatal shooting of a Microsoft design manager in Florida. The victim, Jared Bridegan, was killed on February 16, 2022, after he got out of his SUV to remove a tire from the road in Jacksonville Beach. Prosecutors believe he was targeted because of ongoing strife with his ex-wife, Shanna Gardner, over custody of their twins.

Gardner is married to Mario Fernandez Saldana, who hired Henry Tenon to carry out the ambush. Tenon had no personal connection to Bridegan but was a former tenant at Fernandez Saldana's rental property in Jacksonville. The prosecutor described him as 'basically homeless' and said he initially pleaded guilty but later backed out.

Jurors saw three checks totaling $10,000 written to Tenon after the homicide, marked as payments by Fernandez Saldana for handyman work and a business idea. Tenon's DNA was identified on the rim of the tire that was intentionally placed in the road, police said.