A jury in Florida found Mario Fernández Saldana guilty of first-degree murder and conspiracy in the death of Jared Bridegan, a senior design manager at Microsoft who was killed in an ambush in 2022, reported .
Bridegan, 33 years old and father of four, was shot in Jacksonville Beach after getting out of his vehicle to remove a tire that had been deliberately placed in the road. He was returning home after dropping off his twins with his ex-wife.
One of the most chilling aspects of the crime was that his two-year-old daughter was inside the car when her father was killed.
Fernández Saldana, 38 years old, was then married to Shanna Gardner, the ex-wife of Bridegan. Prosecutors argue that both were the "architects" of a contract killing, while a third defendant, Henry Tenon, is said to have been the one who pulled the trigger.
The motive, according to the accusation, would be linked to "years of animosity" and a fierce custody battle over the twins that Bridegan had with Gardner.
The evidence that led to the verdict
Deputy Attorney Christina Stifler assured that Fernández Saldana maintained frequent communications with Tenon before the murder, handed over at least $10,000 after the crime, and assisted in obtaining the weapon.
The investigators also found a tire at a rental property belonging to Fernández Saldana, where Tenon had lived, that matched the one used to force Bridegan to stop. Tenon's DNA was also found on it.
"They found the murderer through Mario Fernández, not independently. He is the connection in all of this," Stifler stated during the trial.
The prosecution also stated that Fernández Saldana deleted the contents of his phone after Tenon's arrest and attempted to sell the property related to the investigation.
The defense argued, for its part, that there was no direct evidence against their client and that he had no motive nor would he gain any benefit from Bridegan's death. Fernández Saldana pleaded not guilty and did not testify.
"Justice has been partially served."
After the verdict was announced, Kirsten Bridegan, widow of Jared, expressed relief, although she noted that there are still other pending proceedings.
“In that courtroom, the truth was revealed; the jury saw that truth and acted accordingly,” he stated. “Justice has been served in part, and we hope that full justice will be achieved.”
Fernández Saldana faces a mandatory life sentence, as the prosecution has withdrawn its request for the death penalty.
The case, however, is still not over. Shanna Gardner is accused of conspiring to murder her ex-husband and her trial is scheduled for September.
Tenon, identified as the alleged perpetrator of the shot, will be tried in 2027. Initially, he pleaded guilty to second-degree murder and was listed as a co-defendant who would testify in the trials of Fernández Saldana and Gardner. However, he later withdrew his guilty plea and informed his lawyer that he would not testify, according to a court document.
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