Man convicted in murder of Microsoft exec in plot allegedly involving victim's ex-wife

Key Points:

• Mario Fernandez Saldana was convicted of first-degree murder and solicitation of murder for orchestrating the fatal shooting of Jared Bridegan, a Microsoft design manager, in a murder-for-hire plot linked to a contentious child custody dispute.
• Bridegan was shot in 2022 while removing a tire from a road in Jacksonville Beach, with his 2-year-old daughter nearby, in what prosecutors described as a "targeted ambush" driven by conflicts over parenting and religion with his ex-wife, Shanna Gardner, who is married to Fernandez Saldana.
• The alleged gunman, Henry Tenon, a former tenant of Fernandez Saldana, received $10,000 in payments after the homicide; Tenon's DNA was found on the tire placed in the road, and although he initially pleaded guilty and agreed to testify, he later withdrew and will face trial next year.
• Defense argued Fernandez Saldana lacked motive and gained nothing from Bridegan's death, noting his estrangement from Gardner, whose trial is scheduled for September; the case highlights the bitter post-divorce disputes involving the victim, his ex-wife, and their children.
• Following the tragedy, Kirsten Bridegan, Jared’s widow, established the Bridegan Foundation to support children during police station visits, inspired by her daughter’s traumatic experience after the shooting incident.