Key facts
- A Florida jury is deliberating in the murder trial of Mario Fernandez Saldana, accused in the 2022 shooting death of Microsoft manager Jared Bridegan.
- Prosecutors allege the killing was a murder-for-hire plot orchestrated by Bridegan's ex-wife, Shanna Gardner, stemming from a custody dispute.
- Fernandez Saldana is charged with first-degree murder and solicitation of murder.
- The alleged gunman, Henry Tenon, received $10,000 in checks after the homicide, and his DNA was found on a tire used to stop Bridegan's vehicle.
- Shanna Gardner, whose trial is set for September, is the daughter of the co-founder of arts-and-crafts company Stampin' Up!.
A Florida jury began deliberations Wednesday in the trial of Mario Fernandez Saldana, who is accused of orchestrating the murder-for-hire killing of Microsoft design manager Jared Bridegan in February 2022. Prosecutors contend that Bridegan was targeted due to a contentious joint custody dispute with his ex-wife, Shanna Gardner, who is also implicated and faces trial in September.
Assistant State Attorney Christina Stifler told jurors during closing arguments that Bridegan was ambushed and vulnerable, unaware that preparations for his death had been underway for months. Fernandez Saldana, 38, is charged with first-degree murder and solicitation of murder. His defense attorney, Jesse Dreicer, argued that his client lacked a motive and gained no benefit from Bridegan's death.
The alleged gunman, Henry Tenon, 65, was a former tenant of Fernandez Saldana. Police found Tenon's DNA on a tire that was deliberately placed in the road to stop Bridegan's vehicle. Tenon received three checks totaling $10,000 after the homicide, marked as payments for handyman work and a business idea. Tenon had initially pleaded guilty and agreed to testify against Fernandez Saldana but later withdrew from the agreement and will stand trial next year.
Bridegan was shot twice after stopping his SUV to remove the tire. He had just returned two children to Gardner's home following a 'date night' meal with their twins. Bridegan was married to Kirsten Bridegan at the time of his death and had two children with her. Kirsten Bridegan testified that the post-divorce relationship between her husband and Gardner was "pretty terrible" and lacked trust.