JACKSONVILLE, Fla. (Court TV) — A man has been convicted of plotting and funding a murder-for-hire that killed Microsoft executive Jared Bridegan.

Bridegan was shot to death on Feb. 16, 2022, while driving home with the 2-year-old child he shared with his second wife. Bridegan had just dropped his older children off at the home of his ex-wife, Shanna Gardner, when he came across a tire in the road. That tire wasn’t placed there randomly, prosecutors said during their opening statements; they said it had been placed there as a trap to lure the victim to his death.

Mario Fernandez Saldana, 38, who married Gardner after her divorce from Bridegan, was the first of three defendants to stand trial for the victim’s death. Investigators said Fernandez and Gardner conspired together to hire a gunman, Henry Tenon, to kill Bridegan.

Prosecutor Christina Stifler walked through the victim’s death in her opening statement, describing the shooting as a “targeted ambush, a planned tactical ambush.” When Bridegan got out of the car to move the tire, Stifler said, four shots were fired by “a figure from the darkness.” Two of the bullets went into Bridegan’s car, narrowly missing the 2-year-old in her car seat; the other two killed Bridegan, who was left facedown on the pavement.

Two people who happened upon Bridegan’s car went to see what happened and found the child, still strapped in the car. “She was shaking,” Stifler said. The child allegedly told the witnesses who saw her, “Something happened to my daddy. I heard loud booms. My daddy’s hurt. My daddy’s on the ground.”

It took police more than a year to identify Fernandez and Gardner as suspects in the case. “The architects of Jared Bridegan’s murder intended it to be the perfect crime,” Stifler said. “And it almost was.”

Investigators quickly determined Bridegan’s murder was not a robbery — his wedding ring, Apple Watch, phone and debit cards were all left at the scene. There was no evidence to suggest there had been a fight or road rage incident. “No one in the world truly wanted Jared Bridegan dead,” Stifler said. “No one in the world truly benefited from his death. No one in the world truly had the motive to kill him, except for Gardner and Fernandez.”

Stifler said that Gardner and Bridegan had an acrimonious relationship that kept them in and out of court for years after their divorce. Gardner’s second marriage to Fernandez, Stifler said, was one of convenience. “It was a deal,” she said. “His words — not mine. You’ll hear that he told police that he married Ms. Gardner to help her with the kids, to help her with the ‘Jared situation.'”

James Hill, one of Fernandez’s attorneys, denied that his client had any involvement in the victim’s death. “Mario Fernandez had no desire to murder Jared Bridegan,” he said. “Mario Fernandez had no motive to murder Jared Bridegan. Mario Fernandez did not benefit from the murder of Jared Bridegan. Simply put, ladies and gentlemen, Mario Fernandez had no involvement in the murder of Jared Bridegan.”

DAILY TRIAL HIGHLIGHTS

DAY 8 – 8/26/26

• LIVESTREAM: FL v. Mario Fernandez Saldana – Day 8 | Microsoft Exec Murder Trial
• The jury reached a verdict, finding the defendant guilty of first-degree murder and solicitation to commit a capital felony.
• MORE: Man convicted of killing wife’s ex in murder-for-hire of Microsoft executive

DAY 7 – 8/25/26

• LIVESTREAM: FL v. Mario Fernandez Saldana – Day 7 | Microsoft Exec Murder Trial
• Petra Obitzberger, Discovery School administrator
  • Testified that the Bridegan children attended the school full time until Fall 2022.
  • Gardner and Fernandez presented themselves as caring, friendly, and appropriate parents.
  • Gardner informed the school of Bridegan’s passing but did not mention that it was a murder or that there was a criminal investigation.
  • Confirmed that the school encourages parents to share information about changes in the home, including divorces and separations.
  • Community members and parents frequently report suspicious activity in the neighborhood, but no activity was reported the night of Bridegan’s death.
• Lauren Meredith, Discovery School teacher
  • Taught the Bridegan twins in 2021-2022.
  • Characterized Bridegan as “condescending” at their initial meeting, but later acknowledged his perspective was understandable given his long commute and the high-conflict custody battle.
  • Fernandez actively participated in school functions, parent-teacher conferences and child drop-offs and pickups.
  • Discussed measures taken in response to the media attention after Bridegan’s death, including adding internet search filters on the school computers and safety fencing.
  • Reached out to Kirsten Bridegan to request the removal of an inflammatory post on the “Justice for Jared” Instagram page.
• The defense rested its case.
• Fernandez said he would not testify.
• The prosecution delivered closing arguments.
• The defense delivered closing arguments.
• MORE: Defendant had ‘no motive,’ ‘no desire’ to kill Microsoft executive, defense says

DAY 6 – 8/24/26

• LIVESTREAM: FL v. Mario Fernandez Saldana – Day 6 | Microsoft Exec Murder Trial
• Kim Jensen, Shanna Gardner’s friend (Proffer — testimony occurred outside the presence of the jury)
  • Confirmed her long-standing friendship with Gardner and described the quick nature of Gardner’s relationship and marriage to Fernandez.
  • Described Fernandez as a “big talker” who claimed he could fix things or take care of things.
  • Fernandez was not present during key phone calls she had with Gardner.
• Fred Barton, friend of John Biggerstaff
  • Their mutual friend, John Biggerstaff, brought a metal gun cabinet to his house to store for about a week before his sentencing.
  • He never opened the cabinet and had no key or access to it.
  • John Biggerstaff and his son, Juan Biggerstaff, picked up the safe a week later.
• John Biggerstaff, defendant’s friend
  • Was in the U.S. Navy and served as a reserve officer in the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office before he had a felony conviction; he surrendered all his firearms in 2016.
  • Before 2016, he legally purchased a 10 mm Glock for bear hunting, but he has no knowledge of its current whereabouts.
  • Denied ever giving Fernandez a weapon.
  • A fall in 2022 left him with a traumatic brain injury and memory issues.
• Juan Biggerstaff, John Biggerstaff’s son
  • Former law enforcement officer who assisted his father in inventorying 20 firearms for the surrender.
  • He personally kept four firearms for himself and took the remaining items to Barton’s home.
  • Wore surreptitious recording devices in 2022 to try to learn more about the missing 10 mm Glock in conversations with his father, but it yielded nothing.
• Detective Chris Johns returned to the stand.
  • Reviewed financial records from PNC, Navy Federal, USAA and associated accounts.
  • Highlighted three checks written from First Choice Home Rentals to Henry Tenon totaling $10,000 in March/April 2022 with memos “landscaping and clearing,” “keeping up with the roof,” and “Kickstarter, good luck.”
  • Defense cross-examination established that Fernandez had between $150,000 and $200,000 in personal accounts around the time of the homicide, including $35,000 from a premarital Tesla sale, and that no check payments occurred prior to the homicide.
  • Post-homicide transfers shifted significant wealth back to Gardner, leaving Fernandez with less net worth ($70,000 to $80,000) upon his arrest.
• Prosecutors rested their case.
• MORE: ‘I have no idea’: Witness denies giving missing gun to defendant in murder of Microsoft executive

DAY 5 – 8/21/26

• LIVESTREAM: FL v. Mario Fernandez Saldana – Day 5 | Microsoft Exec Murder Trial
• Special Agent Robert Blythe returned to the witness stand.
  • Clarified that cell tracking maps devices, not necessarily the individuals holding them and that TA bands cover geographic areas, not exact pinpoints.
  • Typographic date error on one slide listed Feb. 17, 2022, instead of March 5, 2022.
  • No direct communications, surveillance or technical data ties Fernandez to Tenon on Jan. 5, 2022, or puts Fernandez outside of his home at the time of the homicide on Feb. 16, 2022.
• Lindsay Butler, analyst
  • Analyzed toll records and Google account returns for Fernandez, Tenon, Biggerstaff and Gardner.
  • Identified a massive spike of over 5,000 processed Google account deletions from Fernandez’s account on March 1, 2022, the morning he and Gardner were scheduled for their first police interview.
  • Highlighted web search history on Biggerstaff’s account for 10 mm Glock pistols on Jan. 25, 2022, following a visit from Fernandez.
  • Detailed phone communications surrounding the release of the suspect vehicle photo on March 10, 2022, and Tenon’s arrest on Aug. 18, 2022, including Fernandez calling Tenon’s girlfriend.
• Detective David Ostertag, Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office
  • Explained forensic extraction methods for mobile devices and cloud accounts.
  • Fernandez’s Samsung Galaxy A13 underwent a factory reset wipe on Aug. 26, 2022, destroying all underlying encryption keys, device logs, historical photos and texts prior to that date.
  • Thirty-five user accounts were manually reinstalled on the device after the reset, but contact information for Henry Tenon was completely absent.
  • Defense established through financial records that Fernandez spent $70.46 at a T-Mobile store on Aug. 26, 2022, suggesting the factory reset coincided with getting or upgrading a device.
• Daniel Hausdorf, Florida Department of Law Enforcement crime laboratory analyst
  • Performed microscopic ballistic comparisons on four recovered 10 mm cartridge cases and various bullet fragments.
  • Conclusively matched all four 10 mm casings as having been fired from the same firearm, exhibiting class characteristics consistent with a Glock firearm.
  • Positively identified two recovered projectile items as being from the same firearm.
  • Clarified on cross-examination that without the physical firearm, he cannot identify the specific model or confirm who fired the weapon.
• Javell Ponder, inmate (proffer outside the jury’s presence)
  • Inmate witness testimony was offered outside the presence of the jury regarding statements Fernandez made while the two shared a jail dorm in 2024.
  • Ponder claimed that Fernandez said that Gardner wanted to stage a fake rape charge against Bridegan, but Fernandez warned it wouldn’t work and would only be temporary.
  • Fernandez said Tenon was too old and wasn’t supposed to execute the shooting; it was supposed to be Tenon’s nephew but Tenon “f—d it all up.”
  • Fernandez said Gardner “didn’t have a problem with her a— getting killed” but didn’t want the kids caught in the crossfire.

DAY 4 – 8/20/26

• LIVESTREAM: FL v. Mario Fernandez Saldana – Day 4 | Microsoft Exec Murder Trial
• Det. Chris Johns returned to the witness stand.
  • Confirmed there is no DNA, eyewitness identification, surveillance or physical evidence placing Fernandez inside the Ford F-150 or at the scene of Bridegan’s homicide.
  • Fernandez was known to be at his home after 11 p.m. on the night of the shooting. Law enforcement has no evidence placing him outside of his home after 5:45 p.m. that evening.
  • Henry Tenon had four phones, two of which (“Tenon 1” and “Tenon 2”) were in Jacksonville Beach at separate locations at the time of the homicide.
  • Admitted law enforcement did not search Jimmy Jones’ home for the missing 10 mm murder weapon.
  • Cellphone mapping shows overlapping geographic proximity between Fernandez and Tenon on Jan. 29 and Feb. 15.
• Special Agent Kenneth Stengel, ATF
  • Detailed locating Henry Tenon’s Ford F-150 parked in plain view in the backyard of Jimmy Jones’ residence on Oct. 14, 2022.
  • Jones was fully cooperative and allowed officers on the property. Officers did not search the home interior because Jones was not a suspect and the focus was on securing the vehicle.
  • Investigated John Biggerstaff and interviewed his son, Juan Biggerstaff.
  • Equipped Juan Biggerstaff with an audio/video wire to record conversations with his father about the gun, but that yielded no actionable intelligence.
  • 10 mm handguns are relatively uncommon in field investigations.
• Carlos Phuong, defendant’s friend
  • Was friends with the defendant in high school.
  • Testified that Shanna Gardner frequently complained about custody battles with Bridegan in Fernandez’s presence.
  • Fernandez mostly remained quiet and “went along with the flow.”
  • Authenticated two surreptitiously recorded phone calls placed to Fernandez on Jan. 24 and Jan. 25, 2023, following Tenon’s arrest.
    • In the first call, Fernandez discussed separating from Gardner, his move to Kissimmee and dismissed media speculation regarding Gardner’s involvement.
    • In the second call, Phuong told Fernandez about news reports of Tenon’s arrest and identified Tenon as a former tenant.
    • Fernandez acknowledged that Tenon had done tree removal and roofing work for him at the rental property.
  • Confirmed Fernandez never made any confession, never expressed concern about Phuong’s questions and never asked the witness for a firearm or for help covering up a crime.
• Special Agent Robert Blythe, FBI
  • Qualified as an expert in mobile device location analysis.
  • Mapped data from Jan. 29, 2022, showing Tenon’s device traveling near Bridegan’s residence and Elite Gymnastics, while Fernandez’s data put him in the vicinity of Tenon’s Potomac address with overlapping time windows.
  • Feb. 15, 2022: Placed Fernandez’s device at the Potomac address for 20-25 minutes simultaneously with Tenon the day before the murder.
  • Feb. 16, 2022: Fernandez’s phone recorded active data moving near his residence until approximately 6:35 p.m., then again briefly at 7:09 p.m.
  • Highlighted a complete absence of cellular data/signaling for Fernandez’s phone between 7:10 p.m. and 8:20 p.m. (spanning the time of the murder). This is consistent with a phone being turned off or placed in airplane mode.
  • Fernandez’s phone made a rapid drive to North Carolina, Pennsylvania and back to Florida between March 2 and March 6, 2022.

DAY 3 – 8/19/26

• LIVESTREAM: FL v. Mario Fernandez Saldana – Day 3 | Microsoft Exec Murder Trial
• Det. Chris Johns returned to the witness stand.
  • Described the case as an exhaustive 11-month investigation with major media coverage.
  • Acted as primary financial investigator despite holding no formal accounting or financial degrees.
  • Multiple claims made by the defendant during police interviews checked out as factual.
  • Fernandez’s interview statements regarding time-sharing involved wanting majority decision-making or a 60/40 schedule (two days a month difference) rather than taking away all custody.
  • Reviewed court filings showing that historical custody changes were entered into mutually by consent orders without contested trial hearings.
  • No physical evidence, DNA, fingerprints or hair places Fernandez inside Tenon’s blue Ford F-150.
  • No cell data or physical evidence shows Fernandez was with Tenon on Jan. 29 during an alleged “dry run.”
  • Validated pole camera video showing Fernandez at his rental property performing construction and tile work.
• Taylor Kutis, defendant’s friend
  • Met Fernandez during ROTC training in 2013 to 2015 and maintained an intermittent friendship/text relationship over the years.
  • Fernandez discussed his wife’s high-conflict co-parenting situation with her ex-husband.
  • Fernandez mentioned having a “contract” with his wife’s parents and alluded to special military training and skills.
  • Recalled Fernandez calling her days after the homicide, stating he thought the kids’ dad had died in a “hit and run.”
  • Had a brief romantic fling with Fernandez 10 years prior, and never contacted police until officers approached her.
• Victor Quiroz, defendant’s friend
  • Has known Fernandez since 2010, primarily through online multiplayer video games, such as Destiny and Call of Duty.
  • Fernandez stayed overnight at his home in North Carolina in March 2022 while traveling north to visit a friend.
  • Fernandez never brought up Bridegan’s death or police interviews.
  • Fernandez acted normal and did not ask for cash, a car swap or assistance evading authorities.
• Glenn Fahrig, ATF DNA analyst
  • Confirmed that no DNA matching Fernandez, Gardner or Bridegan was found on any evidence tested.
  • Identified Bridegan’s DNA on the cartridge shell casings.
  • Matched Henry Tenon’s DNA to key evidence items, including the inner rim of the tire, the silver Ford truck key and a steering wheel swab.

DAY 2 – 8/18/26

• LIVESTREAM: FL v. Mario Fernandez Saldana – Day 2 | Microsoft Exec Murder Trial
• Cpl. Brian Wallace, Jacksonville Beach Police Department
  • Canvassed hundreds of homes between the crime scene and the victim’s last known location, looking for video.
  • Identified a two-tone blue and gold Ford F-150 involved that was traced to Henry Tenon’s father.
  • Said there were two people inside the F-150 at the shooting, and then one person ran from the scene. The person on foot was alleged to be Tenon, but there was no suggestion as to who was in the truck.
• Det. Brett Burrell, Jacksonville Beach Police Department
  • Notified Shanna Gardner and Mario Fernandez Saldana of Bridegan’s death. Fernandez was cooperative, calm, not sweating and showing no signs of panic.
  • Spotted a tire matching the one left in the road at a rental property owned by Fernandez. The tires were manufactured on the same date at the same plant.
  • Confirmed the Ford F-150 was linked only to Henry Tenon and not Fernandez.
• Det. Chris Johns, Jacksonville Beach Police Department
  • Lead investigator on the case, detailed his work involving the victimology for Bridegan, ruling out road rage or a robbery, and searching ballistics and firearms databases for the 10 mm casings found at the scene.
  • Executed search warrants for Henry Tenon, which led to recovering keys for the Ford F-150. Tenon’s DNA was on the tire found in the road at the crime scene.
  • Three business check stubs found inside the F-150 represented payments to Tenon by Fernandez.
  • Did a wiretap, using the public announcement of Tenon’s arrest as a “tickle” to record communications between subjects.
  • The jury saw a police interview with the defendant from March 1, 2022.
• MORE: There were 2 people at the site of Microsoft executive Jared Bridegan’s murder, witness says

DAY 1 – 8/17/26

• LIVESTREAM: FL v. Mario Fernandez Saldana – Day 1 | Microsoft Exec Murder Trial
• Assistant State Attorney Christina Stifler delivered the opening statement for the prosecution.
  • Jared Bridegan was killed on Feb. 16, 2022, in a targeted attack; he was lured by someone who put a tire in the middle of the road to stop him from driving past.
  • The only people who stood to gain from Bridegan’s death were his ex-wife, Shanna Gardner, and her husband, Mario Fernandez Saldana.
  • Alleged gunman Henry Tenon was hired by the defendant to carry out the killing.
  • Gardner and Fernandez’s marriage was one of convenience.
• James Hill delivered the opening statement for the defense.
  • Mario Fernandez Saldana had no desire to kill Bridegan, had no motive and did not benefit from his death.
  • The divorce between Gardner and Bridegan was not acrimonious — the pair agreed to settlements and changes within the divorce agreement.
  • There were no threats of violence in the relationship.
  • There is no direct evidence tying the defendant to Bridegan’s death.
• Jonelle Cruz, eyewitness
  • On Feb. 16, 2022, was driving with her boyfriend when they came across an SUV with its hazard lights on.
  • When they walked up to investigate, they found Bridegan lying on the ground.
  • The two retrieved Bridegan’s 2-year-old child from the backseat of the victim’s car.
  • The child was shaking and asking if police would help her daddy; she said she heard a “boom.”
• Shane Borja, eyewitness
  • While driving with his girlfriend, came upon a stopped vehicle and saw the victim lying face down on the ground in a pool of blood with the driver’s side door open.
  • While Cruz called 911, Borja looked around the area for another car or victim but didn’t find anything.
• Sgt. Lawrence Smith, Jacksonville Beach Police Department
  • One of the first officers on scene after Bridegan was shot, he described the location as narrow and unlit with high curbs and dense woods, calling it one of the darkest areas in Jacksonville Beach.
  • Upon finding Bridegan on the ground, he started CPR until another officer arrived.
  • Discovered multiple 10 mm casings on the ground and a projectile near Bridegan’s body, ruling out the possibility of a suicide.
  • The victim’s pockets were not turned out and his wedding ring, phone and wallet were present, which indicated Bridegan was not the victim of a robbery.
  • Identified a large tire obstructing the road directly in front of Bridegan’s vehicle.
• Kirsten Bridegan, victim’s wife
  • Testified to her relationship with the victim; they shared two young daughters.
  • Said the co-parenting relationship between her husband, herself, Gardner and Fernandez was “pretty terrible,” devoid of trust and all communication was strictly in writing.
  • Wednesday nights were “date night” visits for her husband and the two children he shared with Gardner.
  • Spoke to her husband at around 7:45 p.m. on Feb. 16 after he’d dropped the kids at Gardner’s home. She noted nothing unusual before a sudden silence at the end of the call.
  • Drove toward Jacksonville Beach when her husband failed to return home and called his phone repeatedly until a police officer answered and directed her to come in to the police station.
  • She immediately identified Gardner and Fernandez as suspects.
• Dr. Peter Gillespie, medical examiner
  • Performed the autopsy on Bridegan; he documented two entrance gunshot wounds to the left shoulder area and a partial exit wound on the upper right arm.
  • The bullet trajectories severed Bridegan’s left carotid artery and left jugular vein, fractured both clavicles and caused rapid blood loss.
  • Recovered multiple bullet fragments from the victim’s body.
  • Toxicology screens showed only caffeine in Bridegan’s body.
  • Cause of death was multiple gunshot wounds; manner of death was homicide.