In a significant courtroom decision, a Florida jury has found Mario Fernandez Saldana guilty of the cold-blooded murder of Microsoft executive Jared Bridegan, an event that shocked many in 2022.
On Wednesday, the jury convicted Fernandez Saldana—who is the husband of Bridegan’s former wife—of both first-degree murder and solicitation to execute a capital felony.
A judge has mandated Fernandez Saldana to appear in court again on October 5 to learn when he will be sentenced.
According to investigative reports, the tragic demise of 33-year-old Bridegan occurred in February 2022 at Jacksonville Beach. He was gunned down at point-blank range after halting his vehicle to remove a tire intentionally placed on an unlit road.
Mario Fernandez Saldana gazes during his trial proceedings at the Duval County Courthouse on Monday, August 17, 2026, in Jacksonville, Florida. (Corey Perrine/The Florida Times-Union via AP, Pool)
His daughter, who was just 2 years old at the time, was sitting in the back seat during the shooting but was uninjured.
Prosecutors argued the scene was a deliberate set-up stemming from a bitter custody battle with his ex-wife Shanna Gardner and her husband, Fernandez Saldana.
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Mario Fernandez, right, was arrested for the murder of Jared Bridegan, left. He’s the second husband of Bridegan’s ex-wife, Shanna Gardner-Fernandez, far right. (GoFundMe/ Instagram)
Prosecutors allege the duo planned the hit by hiring Henry Tenon as the gunman. Tenon initially pleaded guilty before rescinding that plea.
Fernandez Saldana was arrested in March 2023, followed by Gardner’s arrest in August. Both were indicted on the same charges in Bridegan’s killing.
A judge ruled that Gardner and Fernandez Saldana would be tried separately with different juries.
An old booking photo of Henry Tenon who is charged with the Feb. 16 murder of Jared Bridegan. A family portrait of Jared and Kirsten Bridegan and their daughters Bexley and London. (Florida Department of Corrections/ Courtesy of Kirsten Bridegan)
This is a breaking news story. Check back for updates.