Ex-wife's husband stands trial for the ambush murder of Florida father

The murder of Jared Bridegan, a 33-year-old father of four, is at the center of a complex criminal case unfolding in Florida. On the night of the killing, Bridegan was driving home to St. Augustine after dropping off his twins with his ex-wife, Shanna Gardner, in Jacksonville Beach. A tire was placed in the road, forcing him to stop. When he exited his vehicle, he was shot multiple times in what police described as a planned and targeted ambush. His toddler daughter, Bexley, was in the car at the time, inches from being struck, but was physically unharmed. The investigation quickly focused on Bridegan's ex-wife and her new husband, Mario Fernandez Saldana, as the only people with a known motive. Bridegan's widow, Kirsten, told police on the night of the murder that Gardner and Fernandez Saldana were the only individuals who harbored ill will toward her husband.

Prosecutors have built a case alleging a monthslong murder-for-hire plot orchestrated by Gardner and Fernandez Saldana. A critical break came with the arrest of Henry Tenon, who was identified as the single link between Bridegan and Fernandez Saldana. Tenon was charged with conspiracy, second-degree murder, accessory after the fact, and child abuse. In March 2023, Tenon pleaded guilty to second-degree murder with a weapon as part of a deal requiring him to testify against Fernandez Saldana and Gardner. This testimony is expected to be central to the state's case. Further evidence includes statements from a friend who recounted Fernandez Saldana saying, "I've killed people before," and Gardner claiming her husband could "take care of" Bridegan without anyone knowing. Court documents also suggest Gardner's father was willing to pay Bridegan off.

The legal proceedings are unfolding in stages. Mario Fernandez Saldana, now 38, is the first to stand trial, beginning with opening statements on Monday. He has pleaded not guilty. His defense is expected to present an alibi, arguing he was at home at a time that would have made it impossible for him to assist Tenon in the shooting. Shanna Gardner was arrested five months after Fernandez Saldana and faces a separate trial later this year. The State Attorney, Melissa Nelson, stated that Fernandez Saldana did not plan the murder alone, directly implicating Gardner. The case has drawn significant attention due to the cold-blooded nature of the ambush, the presence of a child at the scene, and the alleged involvement of a former spouse and her partner in a plot that shattered two families.

The consequences of the crime and the subsequent investigation have been profound. For the Bridegan family, the loss of a father and husband in such a violent manner has been devastating, compounded by the knowledge that his young daughter was a witness to the immediate aftermath. The legal strategy of leveraging a co-conspirator's guilty plea for testimony highlights the prosecutorial effort to dismantle the alleged plot from the inside out. The separate trials for Fernandez Saldana and Gardner mean the full narrative of the alleged conspiracy will be revealed piecemeal, with the outcome of the first trial likely to heavily influence the second. The case underscores the extreme lengths to which domestic and custody disputes can escalate, resulting in a public assassination on a quiet, oak-lined neighborhood street.