JACKSONVILLE, Fla. (Court TV) — A Florida judge will allow a sworn statement made by an alleged hit man to be used against him in his upcoming murder trial.
Henry Tenon enters court on May 26, 2026. (Court TV)
Henry Tenon, 65, changed his plea to not guilty on charges of first-degree murder, child abuse, conspiracy to commit murder and accessory after the fact in the death of Microsoft Executive Jared Bridegan. Tenon had initially agreed to plead guilty as part of a deal with prosecutors, but changed his mind before the trials of his alleged co-conspirators could begin.
Prosecutors say that Tenon acted as the hit man. First, he allegedly lured the victim out of his vehicle by planting a tire in the road, and then he allegedly shot Bridegan to death. Tenon was allegedly hired by Bridegan’s ex-wife, Shanna Gardner, and her current husband, Mario Fernandez Saldana, who are also facing charges in Bridegan’s death.
Tenon’s new defense attorney, Julie Schlax, had argued that the statements he made to prosecutors should not be admitted as part of his murder trial because they were made as part of a planned plea agreement that never came to fruition. Generally, conversations made as part of the plea bargain process are not admissible in court, and Judge London Kite agreed that any statements made during the proffer stage of the negotiations will not be shown to the jury. But Kite ruled that the sworn statement Tenon made, under oath and in the prosecutor’s office, is allowable.
Schlax had argued that her client didn’t realize those statements could be used if he backed out of a plea deal. She also emphasized that the statement was taken before the judge had ratified the deal and so could have been considered part of the proffer process.
While all statements Tenon made before he went under oath were considered part of the negotiating process and suppressed, Kite found that Tenon knowingly waived his right to silence by making the statements after being sworn.
Tenon is due to return to court on June 17.
Gardner and Fernandez Saldana are scheduled for a court hearing on June 1, as both defendants seek to suppress some witness testimony. Gardner has also asked to exclude evidence from wiretaps in her trial. Fernandez Saldana’s trial is scheduled to begin first, with jury selection on Aug. 10.
